#When you meet your doppelganger from another world

[valorianknights]

Displaced AU

Diverges from canon during The Tea Party Arc and going into the Clock Keeper Arc.

While Yashiro is searching for the door out of Nowhere during the Tea Party Arc, she finds a familiar door that leads back to school!

Before ending up in the past meeting young Amane, she ends up in a different world where she encounters a version of herself and shenanigans ensue.

After said shenanigans, Yashiro gets back home, with the unintentional consequence of dragging the other Yashiro along .

The door she came from is mysteriously locked and now Yashiro #2 is trapped in this world for the time being.

[juliareed]

Fandom: Alias Relationships: Sark/Irina + Nadia/Elena, Nadia/Roberto, Nadia/Sloane Song: Would've, Could've, Should've by Taylor Swift Summary: Exploring some of the parallels between Sark and Nadia, by comparing Sark’s relationship with Irina to Nadia’s relationships with Sloane, Elena and Roberto. Content warnings: Character death, child abuse, needles, torture, violence, flashing lights

[littlewriters-posts]

Phoenix - Damon Salvatore

Part two of the request I got the other day

part one is here

https://www.tumblr.com/littlewriters-posts/751027674692059136/hey-darling-can-i-request-the-damon-salvatore-x?source=share

Plot: Y/N comes to mystic falls as a foster kid, knowing nothing of the supernatural world. The catch? Y/N lost all her memories, of the past 150 years.

Stefan had sworn both Elena and Damon to secrecy.

Damon had come storming in, his usual stony expression riddled with worry, interrupting Stefan and Elena, announcing the arrival of his old love - that somehow she had come back to life.

Elena was sceptical at first "Are you sure it's not just another doppelganger curse?" she asked, a frown on her face. The name rang bells in her head but she couldn't quite place why.

Stefan shook his head "No, she told Damon she had the Phoenix curse. Not too unsimilar from your one actually, apparently she when she dies she gets reborn again from the ashes, all memories wiped,"

"Except when she wore that necklace," Damon interjected "If we could just find it, we could get her memories back!"

And she would remember me, went unspoken.

Stefan sucked his teeth slightly. Part of him wanted to dismiss Damon's hope, but the other half recognized that this was the first ounce of humanity Damon had shown in years.

"What did you say her name was again?" Elena asked

"Y/N, L/N," Damon said "Apparently she's now living with your friend, the Bonnie," he raised his eyebrows at her, as if demanding an explanation.

Elena's eyes widened "Oh my god," she muttered to herself before turning back to Stefan "Bonnie said that her Grams had signed the papers to adopt this girl, Bonnie said it came out of nowhere. But then she died, and demanded that Bonnie's dad do it instead,"

"Y/N, from my time anyway, was very close to the Bennet witches," Stefan mused silently.

"Yeah they spent years looking for her, and failing," Damon added

Stefan then turned very serious "Damon if she is Y/N you cannot go near her. Remember she doesn't know you, and you don't want to scare her away,"

"I won't scare her away," Damon said looking mildly offended "I am the eternal stud, everyone loves me,"

Stefan rolled his eyes "We really need to find out if it is her first, or just some weird coincidence,"

"What so she can fall in love with some boring human?" Damon asked snidely.

Elena stood up, looking sympathetically at Damon, which he hated.

"Look she loved you once right? I'm sure she'll love you again," she reassured and Damon scoffed so she continued. "She'll be with Bonnie on Monday, I'll become friends with her first, then we can go from there,"

Damon grumbled, but seemed satisfied with that answer, and disappeared upstairs without another word.

Stefan walked up to Elena, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"As much as I hate to say it, he's not the same person he was when he first met her, and chances are she's exactly the same,"

Elena sighed "We'll see what she's like on Monday,"

Y/N was terrified. Dressed in her flares and green top that Bonnie had kindly bought for her, she faced herself in the mirror.

The thought of being in the same room as people she didn't know made her feel rather sick.

"You'll be fine," Bonnie reassured, leaning on the door "Come on, I'll drive you,"

Y/N nodded, brushing all negative thoughts out of her head as she followed her new friend out of the door.

She tried to focus on Bonnie's voice as she chatted at her, telling her all the school drama as if knowing that would help her fit in more with the rest of the group.

But all she could focus on was the outside world, and how different yet familiar it seemed to her.

"We're here," Bonnie announced "Come on, Elena and Caroline are meeting us inside,"

Y/N nodded, giving the other girl a grateful smile. Bonnie had already told her everything about the two others girls, Elena was the sweet one who's parents died in a car crash, and Caroline was slightly outspoken, but lovely when you got to know her.

Elena hadn't told her friends about Damon's history with the new girl, for some reason it didn't seem right. She didn't want to taint anyone's view of the girl before they met her.

Y/N hid behind Bonnie slightly, as they approached the two girls who were waving excitedly at them.

Caroline was quick to embrace Y/N in a hug "Oh I am so excited you're here! It's about time we got some new people in this town,"

Elena rolled her eyes with a smile "It's nice to meet you," she said

As Elena studied Y/N she couldn't help but think that she was nothing like she imagined. She pictured someone meddlesome, someone stony faced and cold hearted like Damon not - not this.

Elena watched as Y/N gave a shy smile, her head held high but fidgeting fingers giving away her nerves.

She reminded her of a baby deer...or lamb...or maybe an otter. Something vulnerable.

"How are you finding it? Have you ever been to school before?" Caroline asked. Elena smacked her arm

"Caroline!" she exclaimed and Caroline looked sheepish.

"Sorry,"

Y/N shook her head with a smile "It's okay, I don't mind answering questions. I - I actually have amnesia, I don't remember anything until I reached about sixteen? Then I was home-schooled by my foster mom,"

Caroline stared at her with wide eyes "So you've never been to a party?"

Y/N shrugged "I mean I might have done, I just won't remember it,"

"Well you're in luck, the founders ball is soon!" Caroline practically squealed "I won Miss Mystic Falls last year, so I can help pick out your dress!"

Y/N hesitated, the thought of entering the hall with yet more people was giving her heart palpations, but she also wanted to make friends.

"Sure, when?" she asked with a smile

"How about Saturday?" Caroline asked and Y/N looked to Bonnie for help.

"We'll be there," Bonnie reassured and Y/N sighed with relief, at least there would be somebody she knew.

"What class have you got first?" Caroline asked, reading Y/N scheduled over her shoulder "Oh no fair! You'll be with Elena and Bonnie," she sighed dramatically.

"ooo History with Mr Tanner, good luck," Elena said, giving Y/N a smile "He's evil,"

Y/N laughed "Surely he can't be that bad,"

Y/N was wrong.

Not only did Mr Tanner sit her at the back in between a boy called Matt Donavon, he also sat her behind another boy called Stefan Salvatore, who was so tall she had very little hope to see the board in-front of the class.

And then he had the audacity to ask her question's in-front of the entire class.

She was quite sure he face was utterly red, and Stefan turned round to face her, making the redness worse.

"It's okay, he did that to me the first time as well, he's a dick," he reassured and Y/N felt the sudden urge to hide under her desk.

"Thankyou," she whispered, her eyes lowering to her paper and Stefan gave her a soft smile, trying not to show his concern.

If he had any doubts now they were sealed. He only knew one person who looked that panicked when talking to people, and he could recognize that face anywhere.

Unfortunate it meant she was still the same person that she was before, and Damon wasn't.

After history Y/N was grateful to Caroline, who talked her ear off on who was hot and who was not, although she found herself growing weary of the constant chatter and found her gaze wandering across the courtyard.

A large crow caught her eye, as it stared at her unblinkingly.

"We're going to the Grill after school wanna come?" Bonnie asked, cutting Caroline off her rant as she did so.

"I'd love that," Y/N said softly, breaking her gaze from the bird.

"What have you got next?" Elena asked

"Er - maths," Y/N replied, checking her schedule.

"Ah shoot, we've all got Biology," Bonnie said sympathetically

"It's okay, Stefan has maths, he can show you the way!" Elena interjected, smiling at her friend.

Y/N grimaced, as much as she didn't have anything against the boy, she'd take getting lost as appose to having to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

"I don't want to bother him," she said quietly.

Elena shook her head, before waving Stefan over from where he sat on the bench.

"You'll like him, he's quiet like you," Caroline reassured and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Ignore her," she said smiling apologetically.

"What did I say?" Caroline frowned, but Y/N smiled.

"It's okay, I get what she meant."

Caroline smiled from ear to ear. She often felt out of place, constantly saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, or saying it the wrong way and getting reprimanded. But Y/N made her feel understood.

"Do you mind walking Y/N to maths?" Elena asked Stefan as he approached.

"Sure," he shrugged "I'll make sure you don't get lost,"

Y/N smiled gratefully, not quite meeting his eyes before waving goodbye to her friends and following alongside him.

"How are you finding your first day?" he asked eventually, noticing her fidgeting hands immediately.

"It's okay, just a lot of people," she shrugged, glancing around at the people shoving past her and she shrank a little.

"Must be overwhelming," he mused thinking slightly "You know there's a graveyard not far from here - sounds dark but I find it's the only place you can really get some peace and quiet,"

Y/N looked up at him, for the first time meeting his eyes. "Thankyou," she said earnestly. "I've only got a half day today, something about adjusting to school life, so I might go after then - where is it?"

"Turn right out of school, go down the road to the old bridge and turn left," Stefan said simply as Y/N hurried to jot it down.

Someone with her sense of direction had to be prepared.

"Great and er - how do I get to the Grill from there?" she asked nervously.

Stefan didn't judge "Follow the middle path into the woods, keep going and then go left at the second turning. Turn right when you get to the old building. Just follow that path and it'll lead you back to the street,"

She thanked him again, feeling slightly relieved that she wouldn't have to navigate it without help, nor would she have to ask a complete stranger.

After Maths, Y/N bid goodbye to the younger Salvatore brother, before texting the girls where she was going, and that she would meet them at the grill later. With Stefan's direction's written down, she was sure she wouldn't get lost, and too her relief she didn't.

So there she sat, next to a random grave, her head resting against the cool stone.

In her hands lay a notebook, the date marked clearly at the top as she jotted her thoughts down.

Her doctor had suggested a diary, after losing your memory for no apparent reason there was no evidence to suggest it wouldn't happen again.

She didn't notice Damon watched her from the shadows, a pained look on his face. He hated the way she looked so tense, her fingers often pulling at the strands of hair that had escaped the messy braid. He could even smell the blood that came from her bitten lips.

But what he hated most was how she was exactly the same. The same slight crease between the brows, the same nervous fidget patten, the same soft hum as she wrote.

It was like she had never changed, like nothing had ever changed her.

He wanted to speak to her, even for a moment but he stopped himself. She hadn't changed, but he had. Even if she did, even if she could, remember him, would she still love him after learning everything he had done? Everyone he had killed?

Would she be able to see past the scars he's obtained and his bloody hands and still be able to see him?

He didn't know. And that killed him.

So there in the shadows he stayed, watching and praying that she would be kept safe.

Y/N shut her book with a sigh, stuffing it back in her bag. She glanced at her phone and saw that it was time to go, surprised that she had been this long.

But it was nice, the quiet, it made her feel whole again.

"Right, to the Grill we go," she muttered, biting her lip slightly.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and started walking down the middle path. She was unaware the Damon was still watching her with the same pained expression.

She came to the turning and abruptly turning, feeling rather pleased with herself as she did so for not getting lost.

As she walked she took out the slip of paper she had jotted the directions down in, and to her absolute horror the ink had smudged.

"Oh no. Oh nononono," she muttered, looking around herself in horror. She remembered something about turning near a building but what building was that?

She turned, telling herself she would just go back the way she came and ask for help, before realising the path she was walking down was a forked path and she couldn't remember which one she had taken.

"Oh crap crap crap," she whispered.

She felt the air around her grow colder, her lungs fighting for air as she tried not to panic. She'd been lost before, she'd be fine. It's not like Mystic Falls was dangerous.

Behind his hiding place, Damon cursed himself. He looked at her panic stricken face, the face he'd seen a thousand times before when she was forced into social situations, and felt his heart tug slightly.

"You lost?"

Y/N whirled around, her eyes wide and heart pounding, before coming face to face with the man she met her first night of Mystic Falls.

"Damon?" she questioned, frowning slightly "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, walking towards her trying to look as non threatening as possible. "I like it here, it's quiet,"

Y/N relaxed slightly "Stefan said the same thing - you're related aren't you? Same last name and all,"

Damon smirked slightly "Brothers," he responded. "So are you lost?"

Y/N's cheeks reddened slightly, a slight pout on her lower lip "If I say no, will you save me my dignity but help me anyway?"

Damon laughed "So you've got an abysmal sense of direction, it's not the worst thing to be bad at - come on, it's this way,"

"How do you know where I'm going?" she asked

Damon froze for a second before recovering "Stefan's going to the Grill too, I just assumed,"

Y/N shrugged, falling comfortably into step besides him. She couldn't tell what it was, but she felt more at ease with him than anyone she'd met so far at Mystic Falls. Like she already knew him.

"They go out a lot, I don't know how they do it," she mused, covering up a yawn.

Damon eyed her carefully, not wanting to come off like he was staring but also unable to tear his gaze away from her.

"You could just not go?" he offered but she shook her head.

"I can't, I need to go to the Grill anyway to ask about any jobs they've got going there," she sighed "These girls love shopping,"

Damon frowned "Job? Aren't you a little young to have to work? You should be out their partying," he smirked.

Y/N wrinkled her nose "Plenty people my age work Damon, I'm not a child. Besides, I don't have any family money...or any family and once I turn eighteen I don't get any support anymore,"

Damon said nothing at first. Money had never been an issue for him, he was a Salvatore after all, and his powers of persuasion meant he could get anything he wanted if he was smart about it. But she was just playing a human over and over again, with nothing to fall back on.

"Well I'm sure you'll find something," he said finally "Mystic Falls is fully of rich people, which mean nobody wants to work," he said amusedly and Y/N laughed.

"Alright Miss Y/N, you're here," Damon announced waving his hand in-front of his as if she would miss The Grill building right in-front of her.

"Thankyou so much Damon, that's twice you've helped me out now - I can't thank you enough," Y/N said sweetly, smiling up at him.

Damon swore he felt his dead heart stop.

"It's no problem - just do me a favour and don't tell my brother. He doesn't like me much,"

Y/N didn't question it as she waved goodbye to him and stepped into the restaurant to meet her friends.

Damon watched her through the window, still not wanting to tear his eyes away from her. His attention soon diverted to the bar manager coming out the store for his smoke break.

Within a flash Damon was next to him, forcing the man to look him dead in the eye as he did so.

"You are going to accept Y/N L/N into whatever job she wants, with whatever hours she requires and pay her double for working weekends," he said lowly.

Compulsion really was handy.

In the bar, Y/N was laughing with Caroline, the other two not appearing yet.

"So who's your date going to be?" Caroline asked gleefully, "I mean you don't have to have one, but you also kinda do if you want to go for Miss Mystic Falls," she added.

Y/N shrugged "I don't really know anyone Caroline, I'm quite happy just to watch and support you,"

Caroline's features softened slightly "You're so sweet," she gushed "Elena and Bonnie don't really like it, they think it's old fashioned,"

"Well it is," Y/N pointed out "But just because something is traditionally feminine doesn't mean you can't enjoy it,"

Caroline smiled "See this is why I like you, you just get it. So tell me, any cute guys caught your eyes yet?"

Y/N shook her head with a smile "Is that all that goes on through your head?" she asked.

Caroline shrugged "You'd only say that if you were deflecting!" she pointed out "Spill,"

"There isn't! I've met like, three guys since I've been here, one of the is Elena's boyfriend and the other is her ex!"

"So who's the third?" Caroline asked, her eyes widening.

Y/N blinked - she hadn't expected Caroline to catch onto that little detail. She gulped slightly, the feeling of tightness returning to her chest. Damon hadn't wanted Stefan to know about him helping her - and Caroline would surely tell him. But she also didn't want to lie.

"Oh erm...I met him on my first day. I got lost finding Bonnie's house and he helped me,"

Caroline clapped her hands together "Oh my goodness! What did he look like, was he hot? What was his name?"

Y/N laughed slightly, amused by the blonde's actions "I don't know, he was tall, dark hair. Really sweet,"

"Oh I bet it was Tyler! You know he's been staring at you all day," Caroline gushed and Y/N blinked.

"Tyler?" she questioned the name foreign on her tongue.

Caroline nodded "Yeah he's on the football team! A bit of a douche but when he likes you he's just the sweetest,"

Y/N nodded slightly, her gaze shifting round the bar "Does anyone at school work?" she asked nervously and Caroline's gaze shifted into one of sympathy.

"Yeah, Matt actually works here. And Tyler sometimes helps his dad with Mayor stuff,"

Y/N nodded, the gnawing pit in her stomach growing slightly. She hadn't even considered that people would look down on her for having a job before Damon's tone of voice told her otherwise.

"But don't worry, no one will care. A girl called Vicky used to work here, and nobody picked on her for having a job," Caroline reassured

Y/N then spotted the manager who was heading back to the bar. "Oop - there he is - wish me luck!"

"Good luck sweetie, hope you get it!"

As Y/N walked over, she mustered the courage to actually look the man in the eyes as she spoke to him, hoping that forcing herself to make eye contact would help.

"Hi," she gave a small awkward wave "I'm Y/N L/N, I was just wondering if you had any waitressing jobs going,"

The Managers eyes seem to shift a little, before he responded with a great smile on his face "Of course! Someone just left today so we have an opening. We can fit the hours around you, and you get double when you work on weekends,"

"Oh!" exclaimed Y/N, not expecting it to be that easy. In fact she was kind of upset since she had a whole speech written on how she would be a great worker. "Oh great, when can I start?" she asked.

"How about next Wednesday? Wednesdays are the quietist days, so we'll have plenty of time to show you the ropes,"

Y/N tried to hide her excitement "Great - thankyou so much!" she called over her shoulder as she practically raced back to the table.

Bonnie and Elena had arrived, sitting down in the vacant seats.

"Did you get it?" Caroline asked and Y/N nodded happily. The girls applauded her, giving her hugs and for the first time Y/N felt truly in place.

"What you can still come shopping with us right?" Elena asked worriedly and Y/N nodded,

"Yeah he said I start on Wednesday and I can pick my hours," Y/N said, taking a sip of her drink.

"Nice," Elena said approvingly "Well done Y/N,"

Y/N blushed a little "Thank Elena,"

Non of them noticed Damon, sat in the corner facing away from them, a small smile on his face.

Saturday rolled around sooner than Y/N had expected and she found herself slightly dreading it. As much as she loved her friends, they were richer than she was and whilst they would be looking at the prettiest dress, she would be looking at the price tag that came with it.

But as she entered the dress shop with her friends, all thoughts soon vanished as she laughed at Caroline's dramatics.

"I wish we could of found you a date - you would have had such a great shot at winning," Caroline said sadly but Y/N shrugged.

"I'd rather just sit and watch then have to dance with somebody I don't know," she replied.

"Well still...I'm going to try this dress on!" she announced picking up a blue number.

Elena patted Y/N shoulder "Ignore her, it doesn't really matter," she reassured. "Which one should I try on?" she then asked, holding up two almost identical dresses.

"Both of them," Y/N replied simply "We've got all day haven't we - and Bonnie why don't you try that green one over there, you'd look stunning!"

Bonnie smiled, grabbing the green dress to change.

It was then a dress in the corner corner caught Y/N's eye, it was a dusty purple, the slight jewels encrusting the top. It was beautiful.

She glanced at the tag.

Way out of her price range.

"Would you like to try it on?" The shopkeeper asked gently but Y/N shook her head.

"No it's okay, it's way out of my budget anyway,"

The shopkeeper bit her lip, "You can try it on anyways, no harm in a little dress up,"

Y/N looked at her hopefully.

"Really?"

The shopkeeper nodded with a smile and Y/N's smile brightened, as she rushed into the changing room.

The dress fit her perfectly, hugging her figure in all the right places before flaring at the bottom. The colour seemed to make her skin glow.

Too bad it was too expensive.

"Come on, let us see!" Caroline begged and Y/N sighed, opening the curtain and letting the girls squeal over it.

"Oh it fit's you perfectly!" Bonnie remarked "You need to get it,"

Y/N shook her head with a smile "And buy the first dress I try on?" she responded, not wanting to tell them that it was simply too expensive.

"See - she get's it," Caroline said with a laugh "No go change so we can try more stuff on," she pulled the curtain back over her friend.

She sighed, wriggling out of the dress with difficulty before placing it back on the hanger.

She handed it to the shopkeeper with a smile.

"It was beautiful but I just can't afford it," she said sadly.

The shopkeeper nodded understandingly "We have a sale section over there if you'd like?"

Y/N nodded, before spotting Caroline sorting through many dresses in her arms.

"Got enough there Caroline?" she asked amusedly and the blonde sighed in exasperation.

"I just don't know which one to pick, I wore blue when I won last year, but I've already worn blue," she tutted putting the blue dress back on the rails. "You found anything yet?" she asked.

Y/N thought back to the purple dress, but didn't want her friend to pity her.

"No, I might come back another day," she said softly. Or to another cheaper shop she added in her head.

"I'm starving, shall we go to the grill?" Bonnie asked.

"We go there all the time, I'm sick of chips and the smell of beer," Caroline whined. "Can't we go back the the Salvatore house, they always have great snacks,"

Elena hesitated. Her and Stefan were trying everything they could to keep Damon from doing something rash, and that meant trying to keep Y/N away from him.

"I'm actually kind of tired," Elena said, yawning. "Why don't we go to that smoothie place downtown and then we can all go home?"

That seemed to go down well with the rest of the group, and Caroline quickly bought Y/N's smoothie before the other two could notice, and before she could protest.

"Don't worry about it," she brushed off when Y/N tried to pay her back, so the girl just sipped her smoothie in peace.

When Y/N arrived home, she was utterly exhausted from the full day, and was about to collapse on the bed when she noticed a parcel on it.

She frowned, wondering who on earth would have put it there. She's been with the girls all day and Bonnie's dad was away on business.

Perhaps Elena had Stefan drop it off, or maybe Bonnie had snuck in whilst Y/N was downstairs.

She opened the box carefully and gasped.

Inside it was the same dusty purple dress she had tried on in the shop.

She gingerly took it from the box, looking everywhere for some kind of tag to say who it was from but there was nothing.

"Bonnie?" she called uncertainly, not knowing whether or not to be excited about it.

Bonnie came in, fresh out the shower and drying her hair. "You o - oh you bought it!" she gushed remarking at the dress.

But Y/N shook her head.

"No I couldn't afford it, it was just here when I got back,"

Bonnie frowned "Oh...maybe Caroline bought it for you then? You know what she's like,"

"Yeah," Y/N echoed staring at the mystery dress "Do you think I should wear it?"

Bonnie nodded "I mean it would be rude not to, and it is a beautiful dress. Besides what harm could a dress do?"

Y/N shrugged, putting the dress on the hanger and hanging it outside her wardrobe, admiring it in the light, before a tap on the window startled her.

She whirled around, only to see a crow staring at her unblinking through the glass pane.

"Oh shit," Bonnie muttered, her eyes wide "Y/N I'm just gonna make a phone call okay?" she said quickly, before practically running out of the room.

But Y/N attention was on the bird as she opened her window for it.

"You hungry?" she asked and threw the bird a bit of bread. It just stared at her some more, before flying away. She shrugged, closing the window.

Back at the Salvatore household, Elena and Stefan rounded on Damon with narrowed eyes.

"Tell me why Y/N has just received a dress that she didn't buy, but was trying on earlier today?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Damon scoffed "I don't owe you an explanation," he said snidely.

Elena shook her head "You need to stay away from her Damon, she doesn't remember you. You're just going to end up hurting yourself,"

Damon shook his head "I didn't go near her did I? I bought her a dress that she wanted, and she doesn't even know it was me. Tell her Caroline bought it, she's always doing stuff like that,"

Stefan had so far said nothing, not even when Elena turned to him for backup. Instead he was looking at his brother with a saddened expression.

"It's okay," he finally said with a sigh "I mean, it's not like he's hurting her,"

Elena pursed her lips, not wanting to admit that she simply just didn't trust Damon around her new friend. But she had to admit, she met Damon when he was at his worst, and Y/N originally met him when he was still human.

Damon said nothing, but carried his bottle of bourbon up to his room.

"Maybe they should meet," Stefan said lowly "I mean, he's not going to kill her,"

Elena shook her head "So he can take his pain out on other people when she doesn't fall in love with him? You said so yourself, Damon's a monster - and Y/N just doesn't seem like the type to deal with that,"

Stefan stared into the fire, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What if they met here? That way we could keep an eye on Damon, make sure he doesn't do anything too rash, but at least he wouldn't be secretly trying to see her without us knowing,"

"Okay," Elena nodded, "But after the founder's ball next week, I can only focus on so many things at once,"

Y/N found herself in two minds over the founders ball. On the one hand, it was quite exciting to be getting dressed up and ready with her new found friends, but on the other hand, it was a long day to be around people.

She tried to push that thought out of her mind until Bonnie said,

"We're all having an after party at the Salvatore's, so I'll drive you there after,"

Y/N tried not to show her grimace "Do I need to bring spare clothes?" she asked and Bonnie shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure Caroline will change into another dress, but me and Elena will be going casual so it's up to you,"

Y/N then crammed a skirt and jumper into her bag, with some joggers in case it got too cold.

After Bonnie helped her tie the corset laces on her dress, the sudden restriction of breath was noticeable but not uncomfortable.

"You look stunning," Bonnie reassured, seeing the fleeting look o nerves overtake her friends face. "Now listen, I'm driving but me and Elena and Caroline all have to go upstairs because of the Miss Mystic Falls thingy, but we'll come find you as soon as we can okay?"

Y/N nodded, deciding against speaking for the fear that the nerves would make her be sick. She was nervous, and she didn't even have a part to play.

She was grateful for the three girls as they all chatted in the car, meaning that she didn't have too, and even as they left to go upstairs, Y/N gave them a small smile and wished them good luck.

Now what.

She glanced around the room, feeling suddenly very small as she realised she didn't really know anybody in there. She settled by grabbing a glass of champagne that she knew she wouldn't drink and settling in the corner, watching everyone go by in their dresses.

She watched and clapped as one by one the elected girls descended the stairs, each one getting an applause before moving to the middle of the room.

"That's a beautiful dress," Came a voice, and Y/N jumped slightly, turning towards the sound of the voice. Her demeanour relaxed slightly as she realised who it was.

"Hello Damon," she said, her smile more genuine. "And thankyou, I'm not entirely sure who got it for me, but I love it,"

Damon said nothing, but a small smile played on his lips.

"You don't look to be enjoying yourself," he acknowledged and she sighed.

"I know, I'm just...I hate crowds," she admitted "I'm so glad you're here, finally a face I recognize,"

Damon stared at her a little, the want to let all of his emotions tumble off his tongue was great, but he knew that it would be a disaster if he did so.

"You owe me a favour, Since I have rescued you what - twice now?" he asked teasingly.

Y/N rolled her eyes "Alright Mr Salvatore, what do you want?" she went along playfully.

"A dance," he replied simply, extending his hand and she laughed nervously.

"I'm a terrible dancer, I don't think I've ever even learnt!" she exclaimed but Damon's blue eyes met her wide ones and she relented a little.

"I'll lead you," he replied gently, taking her hand in his own. "Come on,"

Y/N accepted his hand, gracefully walking to the middle where more couples were now dancing with the original girls.

"This is going to be so embarrassing," she muttered, her eyes darting around as she saw that other people were watching her.

"Hey - look at me," Damon commanded, his tone soft. So she did, his blue eyes staring into her own and she felt her breath hitch slightly. There was something ever so familiar about them, like a safeness that she couldn't quite place, like somewhere she had been before but couldn't quite remember.

And they were dancing, in sync and ever so graceful, neither one of them ever breaking eye-contact with each other.

"Oh my god, is that Y/N with Damon?" Caroline ran up to Elena, horrified and Elena nodded with a grimace.

"It's complicated," Elena whispered back to her friend. "We think Y/N used to be an old friend of his - well old girlfriend - back when Damon was human. But she disappeared, and now she's back. And here's the catch - she doesn't remember any of it,"

Caroline's eyes widened "Y/N a vampire?" she whispered in shock but Elena shook her head.

"No she's cursed, every time she dies she get's born back into the same body, with no memory of the life before,"

Caroline looked at Damon, narrowing her eyes "If I didn't hate him so much I'd feel sorry for him - do you think he still loves her?"

Elena nodded with a sigh "Stefan said he never stopped looking for her after she disappeared,"

Bonnie grimaced "Can we please stop feeling sorry for Mr Killer over there, he's literally killed people Elena. We can't let him have Y/N, we both know he's end up hurting her,"

But as the trio watched Y/N and Stefan dance, even Caroline who hated Damon the most, couldn't help but admit the softness in his eyes when he looked at Y/N. Like a humanity that wasn't there before.

"You're an excellent dancer," Damon remarked, pulling her to the side after the song ended.

"I was only following you," she laughed, "Also why do all these drinks have alcohol in, what's wrong with something that actually taste nice," she said bitterly, setting down a champagne glass with a wrinkled nose.

"I'll get you something," Damon reassured "Wait here,"

Y/N didn't have chance to tell him that he didn't have to, he was already gone.

"I do hope my brother wasn't bothering you," Came the voice of Stefan Salvatore as he walked over to her.

She shook her head "No, he's actually really sweet," she said with a soft smile, glancing back to where he had gone too. "He's actually gone to get me drink since I don't like champagne,"

Stefan raised his eyebrows but didn't comment further on the matter, not daring to spoil her image of his brother.

"Where's Elena?" she asked.

"Gone to find her brother I think," Stefan glanced around to spot his girlfriend who was indeed chatting to her little brother. "I'm driving you all to the afterparty now, but I'm coming back for him because there's no room in the car,"

"I thought Bon was driving?" Y/N asked with a frown but Stefan shook his head.

"She's already drinking," he said amusedly

"No worried Brother, I'll take her," Damon had come back, standing besides Y/N and staring at his brother with an emotion Y/N couldn't quite place. "Got you some orange juice," he said, giving her a slightly smile. She thanked him.

Stefan hesitated, not wanting to start a scene, but also not having an excuse ready.

"Alright," he finally said after staring his brother back some more "We're leaving in ten minutes,"

Stefan then left, and Y/N eyed the que to the toilets with distaste. She didn't fancy waiting in the line just to get changed like many of the other girls were.

"Can we go back sooner?" Y/N asked, and Damon turned back to her with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"And why would you want that?" he asked and Y/N's cheeks burned.

"No - I didn't mean-" she stuttered slightly before gathering her thought's and frowning at him "I just want to get changed," she said defiantly.

Damon laughed "Relax I'm just messing with you, come on before Stefan think's I'm kidnapping you,"

Y/N rolled her eyes, put picked up her skirts so they wouldn't trail on the floor, before picking up her bags that she had left in the cloakroom. Or tried to, before Damon took them from her.

"And who would I be if I let a lady carry her own bags," he asked, raising his eyebrows.

She curtseyed playfully "Well thankyou Mr Salvatore," she said mockingly, a slight blush blossoming her cheeks.

She didn't understand why, but she felt more comfortable around Damon than anyone else she had met so far, except perhaps Elena, and she had been around him the least.

But there was something utterly familiar about him.

He gave her a cocky grin before opening the car door for her.

"How long are you going to keep up this gentleman act?" she asked as he got in the drivers seat. He put a hand on his chest in mock offense.

"What makes you think it's an act?" he asked, and Y/N laughed, which was quickly followed by a yawn. "You're sure you're up for a party?" he asked.

Y/N nodded, her head resting against the window watching the scenery drive by.

"Thank-you for being so kind to me," she said, glancing at him. His fingers tightened one the wheel slightly.

"You're welcome," was all he said. As she turned away, he tried desperately not to look at her, not to wear his heart on his sleeve like she wore hers.

"Welcome to the Salvatore party," he said when he arrived "Bathrooms down the hall, go right then wa-I'll show you," he said, realising that she would probably get lost.

He then noticed the slight frown on her face "What's wrong," he asked, concerned.

She shook her head "Nothing, It just looks really familiar,"

Damon shrugged "Looks like any old museum I guess,"

She smiled at him as he opened the door to the bathroom, shutting it behind her as she entered.

"Be quick, or I'll miss you too much," he called out and smiled to himself when he heard her laugh.

In the bathroom, Y/N was quick to get dressed, the only problem being she couldn't quite reach the laced up corset and she groaned.

Stepping timidly out of the bathroom she spotted Damon who was leaning against the wall, staring into space.

"Damon?" she asked, and he turned to her with raised eyebrows. "Ca you help untie me please?"

He froze for a second as she lifted her hair, turning her back to him.

His fingers danced carefully over her skin, the temptation to hold her almost overwhelming but he cleared his throat and pushed that thought out of his head.

He carefully undid all the silk ties, letting him fall beneath his fingers. Y/N clasped the front of the dress tightly, so not to let it fall down.

"There you go," Damon said quietly, almost whispering. Y/N turned to him, almost bumping noses with how close they were.

"Thankyou," she replied softly, glancing into his blue eyes as they studied her own, before clearing her throat and returning to the bathroom to get dressed once more.

Damon leant on the wall his hands rubbing his head.

He needed to get a grip he decided.

Y/N changed into the miniskirt that Elena had leant her, with an oversized jumper that barely brushed the bottom of the skirt.

"Okay I'm all ready," she announced and Damon smiled lazily at her.

"About time, the party is about to get started." he said, leading her away and to where numerous people were already standing and Y/N felt herself shrink behind him slightly.

"Y/N!" Elena announced, grabbing her friend by the arm and leading her away from Damon with a glare to the man. Damon watched, biting the urge to follow her down.

Y/N looked back to him, looking slightly regretful and giving him a soft smile, which he raised his glass too.

"So you and Damon?" Bonnie questioned, raising her eyebrows.

Y/N felt her skin burn slightly "He's really sweet," she said quietly

Caroline screwed her nose up "But-Damon seriously? He's such a dick,"

Elena rolled her eyes "Maybe he just really likes Y/N," she said pointedly to Caroline, who pursed her lips slightly.

For the rest of the night the girls kept a close eye on Y/N, not wanting her to see Damon but also not wanting her too suspect anything. However as the night drew on, the girls got more drunk, and Y/N remained sober allowing her to slip away.

It's not that she wanted away from them in particular, but the crowds were getting far too much for her.

So she found herself wandering the halls of the Salvatore building, the vague familiarity of it making her head spin a little. Her fingers ran down the walls as she walked, feeling the old wallpaper beneath her fingers.

She came to the double doors, and something in the back of her mind was begging her to open it, so she did and gasped.

A library.

It was beautiful, with even a seating area near an old fireplace and rows and rows of books.

She marvelled at the sheer amount, before picking a random one and collapsing on the sofa that was there. It didn't take her long to get comfy, curling up against the arm, the book on her lap.

Back at the party, Damon was looking for her, the slight worry settling in his heart.

He cornered Elena, frowning at her "Where's Y/N?" he demanded "I thought you wanted to keep her safe,"

Elena looked around "I thought she went to find you," she said, the worry edging into her voice, barely audible over the slurring of her words as she danced with an empty cup in her hands.

Damon glowered at her, if it was anybody else she would have had her throat ripped out, but he stopped himself.

"Guess I'll go find her," he said sharply.

It was then the thought occurred to him that Y/N said she found the place familiar, and he was sure that apart from in 1864, she had never stepped foot in the building.

And where did she go whenever there was a party?

The library.

He almost laughed when he saw her, curled up against the arm of the sofa, a book in her lap and utterly oblivious to the world around her.

"We were worried about you," he said smoothly, trying to mask the dying worry in his voice.

Y/N looked up with wide eyes, quickly shutting the book and scrambling to her feet. "Oh God I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. It's just...you have a library in your house," she said weakly, looking embarrassed.

Damon waved her off "You're welcome to use it any time you like, the door is always open,"

Y/N smiled gratefully at him, sitting back down in the seat.

Damon watched as she read, the uncanny similarity between now and when he first met her almost to real to bare. Yet she didn't know him now, just like she didn't know him then.

But maybe she didn't need to remember him, maybe he could get her to fall in love with him a second time.

Y/N shivered slightly, even her thin jumper not quite enough to protect her from the coldness of the large house, especially since the room itself was so big.

Damon eyed her "You look exhausted, want me to take you home?" he asked sincerely.

Y/N shook her head "I can't, Bonnie has the house keys and god knows where she is,"

"You're more than welcome to stay here," Damon said softly and Y/N looked up at him in surprise.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," she declined but Damon shook his head at her.

"It's a boarding house Y/N, we have tons of spare bedrooms for exactly that reason,"

Y/N bit her lip, her eyes downcast as she considered her options. "Only if you're sure," she said finally and Damon resisted the urge to celebrate.

"Come on then sleepy, up to bed," Damon said smirking slightly, helping out of her cozy position on the sofa. She groaned softly as she felt her joints click, but the warmth of Damon's hand in her own made it all worth it.

"Do we have to go through the party?" she whispered as she exited the library.

"God no, Elena would kill me," Damon said mindlessly.

"Why?" Y/N asked curiously and Damon froze, realising what he just said.

"I can be a dick," he responded after a beat. He didn't want to go any further, unsure on what she already knew, and the fear that she would then hate him was evident.

Y/N shrugged "Well, at least you admit it," she said a smile "First step to recovery I guess,"

Damon scoffed "I do not need to recover,"

Y/N bit her lip to stop herself from laughing, which Damon noticed with a slight smile. He opened one of the doors, allowing her to step inside.

"You should find everything you need in here, there's an en-suite so you won't get lost trying to find the bathroom, and there will be some clothes you can sleep in," he said in mischievous tone, a suggestive joke on the tip of his tongue but for some reason he stopped himself before he could say it.

"Thankyou Damon, really," Y/N said sincerely, after marvelling at the room.

Damon nodded at her with a smile, before going to close the door as he left.

"Damon?" Y/N asked, and he popped his head round the door lazily, his blue eyes never leaving hers. "For what it's worth, I like you,"

Damon felt his heart leap into his chest. It wasn't a love confession, he knew that, but she liked him. She wanted to be his friend, and that was a step in the right direction.

"I like you too sleepy, now get some sleep,"

Y/N nodded with a smile, staring at the door as he closed it behind him.

Part of her wanted him to stay, but the other part was content knowing she'd see him in the morning.

[fluidstatick]

Balloon SMP is like a baby alligator clamped onto my brain stem, and the more I watch of it the more heartwrenching it gets. This shit is Rashomon from thirty six different angles and I'm sick with grief over these characters, man.

I've gotten to the part of Kuu's perspective of the SMP that's just completely smashed my heart. Having seen Sophie and Robby's VODs already, I wasn't expecting this angle to hurt Even More, but "This is not happening" (the first day of the final week) is so frustrating and sad.

Robby's angle of this day annoyed me, because they left Bee and Char at the citadel and went to fetch Kuu, who explicitly had been shut out of the meeting, then fucked off to work on milk automation. I kept muttering "come on, bro, this shit is important."

Seeing Kuu's perspective wasn't irritating; it just crushed me emotionally. Bailey talking about the dubious power of mob spawners until Kuu walks into the citadel. Swindy, Katy, Claire and Marc gently and repeatedly saying that everyone should treat the blue balloon with respect and compassion. Bee trying to bolster their message of compassion and respect, getting repeatedly interrupted, her face growing sadder and sadder until she can't find words anymore. Gandalf hinting, not so subtly, that he's an avatar of the blue balloon. Jame harping on weapons and armor and preparedness. Gibson scolding people for trying to be diplomatic and humane. Beepers and Buggle giggling and sniping and arguing with everyone. Through all this, the desperate recognition between Kuu and Gandalf builds and tapers off - They're brothers in this struggle, and they're fighting for Love World, but nobody trusts either of them.

Someone in Kuu's chat wrote "Heal-ium" at one point. I mentioned that in a previous post; Sophie was wrong. The red stuff isn't death, it's rejuvenation, recuperation, respite. When players die, they return with fewer hearts - not because they're being punished, but because they're being asked to rest. "You're fragile, mortal creatures. protect one another, avoid violence, feed each other." All of Gandalf's mini quests involved telling people to bring him food, and he would often give people food in return if they indulged him. If everyone had gathered in the same place, and let Kuu place the healium above a high traffic, comfortable area - the roof of the citadel, Socks' poker den / tv hole, Normie's kitchen, Frog Village - the red balloons could feed the blue balloon and nurse it back to health while everyone enjoys each other's company.

Bee kept returning from death with ten hearts partially because their first few deaths were glitches, but I imagine it was also a message - Bee was never the aggressor in conflicts, and trusted the people around them to be gentle and humane. I imagine Headless!Bee was a hint to protect the vulnerable and confused, and Miku!Bee with four hearts was a huge neon sign - You humanoida creatures like this Miku, don't you? We've made your RenoBee into Miku. Listen to them, love them, protect them, let them lead you.

Wherever the most players were gathered, a huge influx of balloons showed up. When people had spawner parties, and didn't crouch in fear, nothing bad happened - everyone got stronger. Sophie being strong didn't give her an advantage. She could solo dungeons without a problem, but her solitude made her suspicious. She hated Gandalf, and hated the balloons, but the doppelgangers were peaceful. Not!Bailey was kind until Sophie expressed fear and agression. Her own doppelganger warned her that she didn't have much time, but she needed to learn to trust. Sophie doubled down on fear and agression, so balloons stopped showing up at Team E.

We could've had love world.

It pisses me off how deeply moved I am by the archives of a damn rtvs adjacent hardcore minecraft server. I was expecting shenanigans and bits and silly improv decisions, and I got those, but I wasn't expecting anger, fear, despair, hope, tenderness, and Real Tears.

Sophie cried. Robby cried. Kuu cried. Ausk and Bee and Socks and I can only imagine how many others. This shit is Sad, and it didn't need to be, and it's a frustrating mirror of how the world works, how it could work if humanity understood how interconnected we are.

[writers-potion]

So I am writing a love story and i don't want it to be cliche. I've done enemies to lovers but can you do different prompts for other love archtypes

Romance Prompts By Tropes

There are so many romance subgenres/tropes you can choose from! I’ll jot down a few that come to my mind, please adapt/change them for your story! 

Please refer to my arranged marriage prompts, relationship tropes, library romance prompts, and soulmates AU posts for more inspiration. 

Love Triangle Prompts 

A love triangle between a psychic, a greedy nobleman and the ghost of his dead brother. 

A demon and an angel find themselves trying to tempt the same person…with unexpected circumstances popping up between the three. 

Secret Identity Prompts

The MC finds out that their love interest is actually royalty/the secret police/an assassin hired to kill them(?)

The love interest is actually the doppelganger of the MC’s first love. If the doppelganger is to survive, they must kill MC’s first love (if doppelgangers meets, the love interest would die)

The love interest turns out to be the MC’s worst enemy...in the virtual space 

He’s a romance writer. She’s someone who learnt romance out of books - his romance novels. As they date, she keeps quoting HIS cheesy lines back at him, and he’s too ashamed to admit that he’s actually the author of the books she’s read. 

She’s a witch undercover who’ll never admit she fed him a love potion. He's a cupid in disguise who accidentally made a witch fall in love with him. 

Friends to Lovers Prompts

The MC goes through old photos and realizes that all the people they dated were some versions of their best friend. 

Getting fake married as kids and family members rewatching the video of the fake ceremony to tease…when sparks fly 

Opposites Attract Prompts

Two strangers meet as volunteers at the local animal shelter - one to see the cats and the other to play with the dogs. 

He's a starship captain from Earth. She's an alien with plans on attacking Earth. His mission is to convince her that humanity is worth saving . . .

In a fantasy world when the good and bad are constantly at war with one another, the villain’s secretary and the hero’s assistant realize that they’re just two very overworked employees.

Hope this helps :)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

💎For early access to my content,  become a Writing Wizard 

[ladytauria]

Oh I see what we are doing now *ahem*

-Abyss left the ask box-

-Person with the most perfect Mustache you've ever seen-

*Strokes it* Trick or Treat my fine lady

*squinting* that’s a very fine mustache you have there, dear, but I SWEAR I’ve seen your face before

hmmm… well. while there are still several ideas hidden in my documents for some reason I feel compelled to give you my OTHER idea I had for my dear friend @deepwithintheabyss

jumping into this one without a lot of worldbuilding to try and curb the length dfghjk also this is a little rough/messy… i’d love to flesh it out a little more perhaps. call this a first draft version haha

It’s not until after Zatara has left that Tim gets to process how odd all of this is.

Alvin and he stand across from each other in Tim’s living room. It’s almost like looking in a mirror—both of them dressed in the same loose sweats, the same ratty Gotham Knights sweatshirt.

Alvin tilts his head. “So… are we going to fuck?”

Tim chokes. “What?” Of all the questions he could have broken the silence with—

“You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” Alvin’s lips twitch. “I know better.”

If Tim is always this smug-looking when he’s right about something, he can understand why Steph says he has a ‘punchable’ face. “You don’t have to be so blunt about it,” he grouses.

His objection is mostly on principle. In a world of alternate universes and time travel (proven multiple times over now, Bruce), it’s hard not to consider, to think about, what might happen if Tim was faced with another version of himself. Hell—Tim has met another him. Though, granted, that meeting didn’t go particularly well.

But. There was always the possibility of meeting another him, someone who wasn’t a fascist asshole. Someone, well—

Someone more like Alvin.

A magical doppelganger, created by an artifact related to Tim’s latest case. A perfect copy of him, down to his last memory at the time of creation. It answered a lot of questions Tim had—but more immediately… it opened up entire realms of possibilities.

Alvin steps closer, and then closer still, until they're almost touching. “Do you really want to keep arguing?” His voice is low. Husky. Tim has heard himself sound like that before, but always—always from inside his own head.

No. No he doesn’t.

But Alvin knows that already.

There is no hiding from him, Tim realizes. Alvin knows him better than anyone ever has—or ever will.

The thought is equal parts terrifying and thrilling.

Rather than answer, Tim steps even closer, crossing the distance between them. He tangles his fingers in the hairs at the back of Alvin’s neck, gripping his nape. Their mouths crash together, both of them making the same soft sound. They almost harmonize. Tim feels his belly tighten—his nipples harden, rubbing against the soft cotton of his sweatshirt. He shivers, his skin tingling.

Alvin’s hands slip under his shirt. Tim gasps. Alvin’s fingers are cool against his skin; his grip steady, firm.

The slide of their lips is slow, unhurried. It’s good. Not the best kiss Tim has ever had—their lips are chapped in just the right way to catch against each other. But… even despite that, it stokes the steady warmth growing in his belly, making him sigh against Alvin’s mouth. He gives into the urge to lick into Alvin’s mouth and Alvin lets him, slackening his mouth so Tim can lick into him and taste.

Alvin tastes like nothing at all.

It would be disappointing if it the reason why wasn’t so thrilling. Of course Alvin’s mouth doesn’t taste like anything—it’s Tim’s mouth.

His grip tightens in Alvin’s hair. Alvin moans. He sucks on Tim’s tongue, pulling an echo of the sound from his own chest. He steps forward, slotting his leg between Alvin’s. His thigh presses against his groin. He can feel the shape of Alvin’s cock, hot and half-hard, through their sweats. It makes his mouth water. He swallows—Alvin’s tongue chases his back into his mouth as his hips roll, grinding against Tim’s thigh and groaning. His nails bite into the skin of Tim’s waist, and Tim gasps.

“A-ah—” He has to break the kiss to pant.

Alvin takes the opportunity to bury his face in Tim’s neck, biting at the delicate skin there. Tim is sure that he’s leaving bruises. It’s something he loves on a good day, but the idea that the bruises would match the shape of his own mouth—

“Fuck,” he says, his twitching, cock rutting against nothing, nothing at all.

In all of his elaborate fantasies, Tim had never imagined rutting against his doppelganger like he’s still a teenager. But now that it’s happening—

Why not?

Why not get off just like this?

Like Alvin is thinking the same thing—and fuck, he probably is, because they’re the same—he slots his own leg between Tim’s. They’re tangled together, pressed so close they’re almost one person.

Alvin bites—Tim shouts, his hips stuttering forward, and moans breathlessly when this time, he meets the hard muscle of Alvin’s thigh, the friction sending a wave of feeling skittering over his nerves. He pulls at Alvin’s hair, good and hard, the way he knows makes his nipples feel tight, his scalp tingle. His other hand drops down to Alvin’s ass, gripping the swell of it, pulling him forward to rub against Tim’s thigh.

Alvin gasps, moans. He scratches at Tim’s back, his waist, and abruptly, Tim needs to be naked. He lets go of Alvin to grab the hem of his sweatshirt and pull it off, over his head. He tosses it aside carelessly. Nothing crashes, so wherever it landed is probably fine. Alvin makes a soft, eager noise, then he follows suit.

They’re identical, of course. Lean and wiry and covered with a dark dusting of hair, thickest at his belly. Scars litter their skin—some of which only they can see, too faded for anyone else to find without serious exploration. There’s a mole next to one of his nipples. Tim’s only really ever seen it in the mirror before; it’s too far down for him to pay much attention to when he’s lying in bed, touching himself.

Right now—

Right now, it’s like his vision has narrowed down to it, and he shoves—gently—at Alvin, until his knees hit the back of the couch. Alvin lets himself fall, lets Tim crash on top of him, gripping at his shoulders while Tim trails a rough, wet path from his neck to his chest. His knees hit the floor. Alvin’s legs lock around his middle, ankles crossing at his back.

He knows just how to touch himself… with his hands. With his mouth—

With his mouth it’s clumsier, messier. He doesn’t know quite how roughly he can bite, how hard he can suck. But he figures it out, letting the gasps and moans Alvin makes guide him. Alvin’s fingers find his hair. He tugs, that perfect way that Tim likes, and he moans. His hips rut forward, against the couch.

He feels dizzy with want.

It reminds him of his task, just a few moments ago. He pulls off of Alvin’s nipple and shucks his pants. The position makes it awkward, clumsy. He would feel embarrassed if he didn’t know that Alvin was just as messed up as he is.

He reaches for Alvin’s pants next. Alvin’s belly tenses, showing off the muscles in his abdomen as he lifts his hips, letting Tim slide them over the swell of his ass and then down his legs. Tim doesn’t bother with their socks, climbing back up to plaster himself against Alvin instead. They move, the two of them, until they’re horizontal; Alvin lying under him, his head propped up slightly on one of Tim’s throw pillows. The other one is kicked to the floor. He can feel Alvin’s cock against his belly, hard and hot and leaking precum.

Alvin looks up at him, his face flushed, his eyes dark, hazy. This is what Tim looks like when he’s having sex. His cock pulses. He needs— He needs to see what he looks like when he comes.

He holds his hand up to Alvin’s face. He doesn’t have to say what he wants—Alvin knows, licking over Tim’s palm, holding his gaze as he does. Tim’s mouth is dry.

As soon as his hand is wet, he shoves it between their bodies, wrapping his hand around both of their cocks. They moan in perfect unison; the exact same breathless, desperate pitch. Tim starts slow, smearing spit and precum over their cocks until the glide is slick and smooth. Then he speeds up.

If he was masturbating alone, he would alternate between slow and fast; keep himself hovering over the edge until it was almost too much to take. Then, and only then, he would let himself cum.

Later, he’d be more than happy to test both of their limits. To act out every filthy fantasy they’ve ever had, but never had anyone else to to try it with.

Right now, though—

Right now, he’s getting an outsider’s perspective of his own orgasm and he wants nothing more than to see it through. So he does, hitting that perfect speed, that perfect tightness, twisting his wrist—pulling out all of the stops until he can almost taste his peak. Alvin writhes under him. He claws at Tim’s back, leaving streaks of red over the smooth skin there. Tim will look at them later; compare the spread of his fingers to them and flush at the idea that anyone else would look at him and think he’d found some random hook-up to take home.

Only Tim would know the truth.

Well.

Tim and Alvin.

“C’mon,” he whispers. “C’mon, baby—wanna—I wanna see you cum.” He shifts slightly, bracing more of his weight on his knees. He gets his other hand involved, then; tugging and twisting at his nipples, starting with the neglected one from earlier, the one without the mole.

Alvin grips Tim’s shoulders so tightly Tim is sure he’s drawn blood, and then—

He arches, mouth opening, panting their abdomens in white. Tim barely refrains from following him over the edge—staying as present as he can as he drinks in every detail. It’s not the same as watching himself on video. Even his highest definition camera can’t capture the rush of blood under Alvin’s skin, the glisten of sweat on his skin, the way his eyes move under the lids and his lashes flutter against his cheeks.

He gentles his hand, stroking Alvin until he collapses against the couch, chest heaving as he pants. He looks up at Tim with hazy eyes—his expression lazy, fucked-out. If Tim cared to psychoanalyze himself, he’s sure he could think of several interesting notes about the way he leans down to capture Alvin’s lips in a kiss.

Tim isn’t interested in digging that deeply.

Not this time.

Alvin only lets the slow, lazy kiss continue for a few minutes before he threads a hand in Tim’s hair and tugs him off. His lips curve upward, and then his legs tangle with Tim. He’s suspended in the air for one breathless moment before his back hits the couch, knocking the remaining air out of his lungs.

“Your turn now.” Alvin’s voice curls around the words in a low, dark promise.

Tim shudders, arching into his touch.

He can probably get away with taking a few days off. If anyone asks— He can just tell them it’s for science.

[klbwriting]

Surface Tension

Chapter 4: Like Real People Do

Fandom: Aquaman

Pairing: Ormxfemale!Reader

Warnings: none this chapter, next one will have some, this is more fluff

Summary: Y/N introduces Orm to her friends and they take a next step

Notes: more good stuff! comments/critiques are appreciated! Song is 'Like Real People Do' by Hozier

Taglist: @gabrieleskywalker @philiasoul

"You are so into this guy!" Aria laughed as she sat at her kitchen table with Y/N the day after Halloween. "What is his name again?" She was multitasking, feeding her infant. Y/N hadn't said his name, knowing that if she did Aria would know who it was. Orm wasn't exactly a common surface dweller name and Aria still had contacts in Atlantis, she had just been telling Y/N that the previous king Orm had escaped his prison cell and was presumed dead in some attempt to retrieve the Black Trident from the Lost Kingdom. Although, according to Aria, that sounded ridiculous, Orm was in hiding somewhere. And Y/N had paled a little, thinking about how he was in hiding, right next door to her.

"His name is Oren," she said, thinking as fast as she could. It could work, not like Aria was going to meet him any time soon if Y/N could help it. "He's from somewhere in Europe."

"Tell me more about him, I've heard he's hot, and that's he's funny, what else does he have going for him?" she pressed and Y/N regretted bringing him up. She hadn't meant to tell Aria, but she was her best friend and just like most best friends, she knew when Y/N was infatuated with someone and Y/N was bad at keeping secrets from her.

"Well, funny thing, you know who he reminds me of?" she said, figuring if she told her he reminded her of Orm maybe if they did stumble across each other it would set up the idea in her mind that he was some kind of surface dwelling doppelganger. Aria nodded for her to keep going as she spooned more baby food into her daughter's mouth. "King Orm actually, he's got the same exact kind of royal way about him. He also is blonde, sometimes things he's the greatest thing to happen in the world, and he's charming as hell." She had rambled a little more than she meant to and didn't realize Aria was now staring at her.

"If he's anything like that prick Orm you should leave him be, that asshole was a genocidal maniac who didn't care about anyone but himself and that stupid crown," Aria said, voice dripping with venom. Y/N bit her lip.

"I said he's like Orm, but he's also so kind and I can't imagine him being a genocidal maniac or not caring about others. He's been nothing but sweet to me and anyone I've seen him with. You should have seen him with his nephew yesterday, that man is nothing like Orm was," she said. Aria narrowed her eyes, assessing her friend for a minute before finally nodding and offering a small smile.

"Well, I hope he comes to your birthday party tomorrow, Dean would love to meet him," she said, looking a little guilty now. YN's eyes widened. Her party, at her house, that Orm would definitely notice, and be really hurt if she didn't tell him he could come. Aria was supposed to be there, but she had said only Dean, her husband, would meet him.

"Why is only Dean coming?" she asked. Aria sighed.

"The hospital had another flu breakout among the nursing staff, I've been called in for 3 12's," she said. "I'm sorry, I promise we got you an amazing present! And once I'm done with these horrendous shifts I will take you out for a proper fun time." Y/N nodded, putting on an upset face, but inside she was doing a cartwheel. If Aria wasn't there and Dean talked to Orm, then he could report back to Aria instead of her seeing him for herself. Dean had no idea who Orm was, he was a surface dweller who barely understood anything about Atlantis and honestly, didn't care to know once he heard how horrible they were to the lower city. She knew sooner or later Aria would meet Orm but she could warn her first, actually talk to her about him and tell the truth before then.

The day of her party, after getting the supplies and starting to make some of the food she had planned she walked to Orm's door, knocking on the wall as she went. She frowned when didn't answer so she went to the back porch and towards the water. He was swimming again, just a few hundred feet out and back. She took a deep breath, walking slowly down to the beach. She could stay on the shore, it was too cold for a human to be swimming, he would make the excuse he always did, he was used to these temperatures, family of swimmers, blah blah blah, a human would have been still suspicious, but she would pretend what he said made sense. She got to where the rocks started and stopped.

"Orm!" she yelled, hoping he heard her over the wind. He didn't seem to so she took a couple steps forward, heart starting to pound as she pictured a drop of water getting onto her shoes and somehow sending word to her mother that she was near the water, ready for capture. She knew how crazy that was but the fear in her mind didn't care. "ORM!" she yelled, this time louder, and with a little more panic in her voice. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She saw him freeze, looking at her. She wasn't sure what he saw but he swam, faster than any person would be able to, back to the shore, running over to her.

"Y/N, are you alright?" he asked. Orm had heard her voice, hearing thinly veiled terror in her tone. Then he saw the look on her face from the water, she looked pale, like she was going to pass out. He knew he had swam too fast, but he was worried about her, had to get to her as fast as he could.

"I'm alright, just scared of the water," she said, but he felt that was a lie. Why did she lie about the ocean? He couldn't understand it, but he would accept it. "Are you finished? I wanted to ask you something?" He nodded and she forced a smile. He took her arm gently and started to lead her back towards the house, seeing the worry melt away the further they moved from the sea.

"What's going on?" he asked once they were safely back on their porch.

"Well, um, I'm having a party tonight, its my birthday party and I wanted you to come. Its nothing big, just a few friends. We'll mostly eat, play some board games, nothing crazy," she said. Orm stared. The last birthday party he had been to was his 18th and that had ended terribly, he hoped all birthday parties weren't so bad. He swallowed the memories of that night down and nodded.

"Ya, I'll come, what time?" he asked. He had to know how much time he had to find her a present, if he knew one thing about birthdays here it was that gifts were required.

"At 8, and no gifts required, we're all saving for our own lives, so no one ever brings any," she said. He frowned, not liking that. She deserved a gift for just existing and making his world infinitely better over the last 4 months. He nodded anyway and smiled.

"I will see you at 8 then, now I'm going to shower, its freezing out here," he said, realizing he should have been shivering. Y/N just nodded, a knowing look in her eye that he could never place and headed inside.

Orm did in fact shower, go out to a small boutique in the town, and get ready all within the time frame and was knocking on her wall at 8 before heading to her door. It was thrown open by a strange man before Y/N pushed him out of the way to greet Orm. She came onto the porch, closing the door behind her, but he Orm noticed several faces peering out the front window.

"Alright, this is a little out of control, but um, I have never invited anyone outside of this little friend group to a party before," she said. Orm didn't hear her at first, staring instead at how beautiful she looked. She had dressed up in a green dress with blue pearl accents around the neckline, her hair was down and longer than he realized, and her face was made up in soft golds to bring out her eyes but not hide her freckles. She looked more amazing than any woman on land or in the sea. He shook himself and blushed a little. "They think we're dating but you know, I've been trying to tell them we're friends, but they, they don't believe me." She was blushing also, glancing from him to her friends and trying to wave them away from the window.

"It's...its fine, hopefully they like me," he said. They were friends, but were they? He knew he didn't feel like she was just his friend, he was starting to feel like she was more than that, more than everything to him. She nodded and then noticed the small bag in his hand. She took it gently as they walked inside.

"I said no gifts to him, I promise," she said, setting the bag down on a side table, out of the way and safe from the festivities. Her friends just smiled, all looking like they were anticipating something. Orm now understood the scrutiny he normally placed on others. They were watching his every move, trying to read how he felt about Y/N.

"Hi, I'm, I'm Orm," he said, unsure what else to do, he looked to his neighbor and she seemed to be coming out of a trance.

"Ya, um Orm, this is Vincent, his husband James, Amanda, her husband Nick, Colleen, her fiance Erin, and this is Dean, he is my friend Aria's husband. She's a nurse and couldn't be here tonight," she explained, going down the line. He noticed that her voice hitched a little when she spoke and Dean and Aria and Orm knew those were the ones he was trying to make a good impression on. The others all came over, introducing themselves and talking at once at him. He felt relief wash over him when Y/N suggested they play a board game, something called Horrified, and they seemed to lose interest in Orm.

The party was great, food amazing, music soft but still fun and celebratory. Y/N kept asking people to dance with her but no one did and Orm can see it was bothering her. He would have if Dean hadn't cornered him a little, asking him questions about himself and then dropping a bomb on him.

"Aria thinks you and Y/N should be together," he said. Orm looked at him surprised. "O come on, you are all Y/N talks about anymore and you haven't taken your eyes off her all night, you two should just kiss and get it over with." In that instant Dean reminded Orm a great deal of Arthur and he thought he much he wanted to talk to his brother. He never thought he would be wishing for Arthur's perspective on something but now he craved it. Arthur had dealt with all this before, the feelings, the desires, Orm hadn't really dated anyone ever. Mera was supposed to marry him, so he may have found someone to warm his bed from time to time he never had actually felt like this for anyone. He wanted to hear Y/N tell him her secrets, he wanted to taste her skin and her lips, he wanted to hear her laugh, wanted to feel her body against his, he wanted everything with this person. He didn't know how to react to that.

"Ya, well maybe," was all he could offer Dean, but the other man just smirked some and nodded, before saying goodbye to Y/N and heading out for the night. It was getting late and her friends were all starting to leave. Orm hovered in the background, getting glasses and dishes to clean up and find some time to be alone with Y/N. She got the last guest out of the door and turned to face him.

"Hi," she said softly, noticing he was still there. He set down to dishes he was carrying to walked over to the side table, getting the present.

"Would you like to open it?" he asked. She blushed and took the bag. She opened it slowly, inside was a necklace with a silver chain and a single pearl. She stared for a moment, mouth open a little.

"Orm, this beautiful, its too much, but thank you," she said. He smiled and offered his hands. She handed him the box and he took out the necklace as she moved her hair. He gently put it on her, fingers thrilling at the touch of her skin. He was tempted right then to kiss her before stopped himself. He wanted to know that she wanted to kiss him back, wanted to see it in her eyes first. He heard a song playing, soft and perfect for a dance.

"You said you wanted to dance, well, shall we?" he asked. He had never danced before on the surface but he had seen a couple movies, he knew the idea and he wanted to see her smile. She nodded, taking his hand and pulling him to the center of her living room. She put one of his hands her her waist, hers on his shoulder and she held the other. They started the song a foot from each other but as it progressed they moved closer until they were nearly nose to nose, whispering to each other about the party, about anything really.

She could hear the songs words and now was glancing from Orm's blue eyes to his lips. She noticed him doing the same and despite knowing that this would open her up more, would make her vulnerable, more than she had let herself be with anyone since she ran away from Atlantis, she nodded at him. He didn't need any other signs, leaning in and taking her lips with his. They had stopped dancing, now just in an embrace. Her hands went into his hair, his to her hips, pulling her even closer to him as his tongue pressed against her lips. She welcomed it, meeting him as they deepened the kiss. When they parted she took a deep breath.

I will not ask you where you came from

I will not ask and neither should you

Honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips

We should just kiss like real do

"Would you like to stay the night?" she asked. He nodded and she led him upstairs.

[karmic-toast]

★Conquering the Conqueror☆

I'M SORRY FOR BEING SO INACTIVE-

Next>> First>>

REMINDER: Lumi is not Lumine. She is Y/n's alternate universe version.

Warnings: none

“You know, you kind of remind me of something.” Aether places a finger on his bottom lip.

“Dummy! Paimon knows they both look like the statues in Mondstadt!” the fairy yells at the boy. She smiles proudly and crosses her arms.

You and Lumi fall silent at that. She blinks twice, a clear symbol for, 'Should we tell him?' The moment you blinked back at her, the decision was made.

“So, Aether. You travel around different worlds right?” Lumi starts off casually.

He nods warily, having no recollection of telling her such things.

“Well then, you gotta have heard of different dimensions.”

Aether looks at you with a questioning arch of his brow. Nodding in support of your doppelganger friend, he brings his attention back to Lumi.

“I’m aware of the dimensions, although I have yet to travel between them. For now, I only travel from star to star.”

“Well, when I woke up in this world- the both of us” Lumi gestures her hands toward you. “We were called imposters and chased out. That’s when we realized that there was someone else that’s similar to us.”

Aether's eyes slightly widen but he beckons for Lumi to continue.

“So in our world, we're called Y/n, but it seems like our world has different dimensions. And the three of us were sent here…. do you get it?”

Aether nods while Paimon aggressively shakes her head.

“Wait, so you're telling Paimon that both you, and another person were sent here from a different world, from different dimensions? And everyone here thinks that you both are fakes?”

You suppress a smile as Lumi’s right eye twitches. She had repeated everything Lumi had said, as if the way Lumi had said it was as comprehensible as trying to understand a foreign language. In-game Paimon had a knack for repeating everything that was going on. You guess it wasn’t different for the Paimon here either.

“Yes. Thank you for summarizing my words.” Lumi commented dryly.

“No problem!” Paimon smiles, completely ignoring the passive aggressiveness of her words.

“So, the problem is that we are very similar to the god that’s worshiped here. Heck, we even might be the god. But the other Y/n got here first, and now everyone worships her.” you add.

“Then what’s the problem?” Aether questioned, crossing his arms.

“Well, she ordered for us to be killed off.” you say, crossing your arms. “Very rude of her I’d say.”

“K-killed?!” Paimon exclaimed, in her high-pitched voice.

“How come we hadn’t heard of this?” Aether complains.

“Maybe because Mondstadt was too busy with the storm terror issue,” Paimon concludes. 

 “Heh, I’m glad you weren't aware. If you did, our meeting would have turned out a lot differently,” Lumi mutters.

“Why does she want to kill you? Can’t you all work it out?” the male inquires.

“It could either be that she doesn’t have gold blood, so she wants to get rid of us, or she just doesn’t want the competition.”

"Gold blood signifies being a god or whatever." Lumi whispers to Paimon, who seemed to have lost track of the conversation.

“Wait a minute! Didn’t Dvalin say that the whole of Teyvat was oblivious to the obvious? Could he have meant that…?” Paimon squeaks.

“Could be, Dvalin said something about teaching somebody a lesson before he left,” you tell them.

Aether gasps. “Well, this means you could convince Venti! He seemed really worried before I left Mondstadt.”

“I don’t want to go back to the city of freedom for now. Let’s just focus on Liyue.” you say glumly, recalling your hostile welcome to the place.

The four of you continue your adventure in silence, each person having burning questions in their head.

....

You soon arrive near Wangshu Inn, trying to figure out how to attract the conjurer of demons.

“We have to make almond tofu first,” you comment as you eye Paimon yelling out Xiao’s name.

“You know how to make it?” Paimon smiles.

“Yes, we just need almonds and milk. And this isn’t for you, Paimon.”

“Awww… Maybe you could make a tiny portion for me on the side?” 

“Maybe.”

“Maybe? How about-” Paimon’s eyes widen. “Y/n, behind you!!!!”

You feel Aether pull you back as he pulls out his sword.

“You dare copy the face of the divine one?”

You didn’t need to even turn around to know who was there.

The conqueror of demons had arrived.

“Can we talk this out?” Lumi asks the Adeptus.

The jade spear glinted dangerously as he raised it, clearly aiming at her head. 

”Please we can explain ourselves! She has proof!” Lumi points at you.

Xiao runs his caramel eyes over you. You can literally feel the amount of disdain he sends your way with his icy glare.

“Okay then, show me,” he says, lowering his spear.

Lumi raises her eyebrows in shock, she hadn’t expected him to be convinced so easily.

You eye your finger, the one Albedo had pricked just a few days ago. It had a golden scab forming on it. You really didn’t want to mess with it. You halfheartedly raise your wounded hand, showing off the thin cut.

He scoffs. “That is your proof? I don’t believe it.” 

Annoyed with your obvious and last choice, you quickly pick at the scab reopening it, and erasing the effort your finger went through to repair its skin. 

The golden liquid which you called blood faithfully seeps out.

“Eeek! You actually have-!” Paimon squeals. Aether gasps and takes a step back.

You and Lumi keep your eyes on the Adeptus.

He was silent, for a moment, before he whispered, “I knew it.”

“You knew what?” you question.

“That the one I had once called my god was a fake. She had been so mad the first-”

“You what…?” Lumi asks.

“I knew she was a fake,” he repeats. “When I first met her, the first thing she told me was to leave and never come back. She said something about me 'ruining her pity'. I know that the real creator would never say such things.” he crosses his arms attempting to mask his hurt from the imposter's words.

The ‘creator’ was really digging her own grave. 

Lumi continues to question Xiao, but Aether drags you away.

“All right. What else have you been hiding from us?” he demandingly inquires, then he pulls out a slim bandage from his bag.

You smile. “I can run really fast. And it takes longer for me to get tired. Hillichurls and slimes don’t bother me, and rain doesn’t-”

“Hillichurls and slimes don’t bother you?!” Paimon floats around in excitement. “Can you get some of the meat they roast on those campfires? Paimon really wants to try tasting them.”

“I guess.” 

“Paimon, you realize the meat they cook might be flavorless. They don’t have salt or herbs.” Aether points out as he tends to your wounded finger. He earns a glare from the mini-floating thing.

“Meat is meat.” She states.

“Thank you,” you tell the traveler, and he responds by blushing slightly and looking away.

You feel Lumi tap your shoulder.

“Guess what?! No, let me tell you. I just got Xiao to join our side!!” She squeaks.

“Let me be clear, I serve her grace, and her grace only. I have yet to see your proof,” Xiao sneaks up behind you guys, earning another squeak from Lumi, only a more terrified one.

“Hmph, believe what you want to believe,” She mutters, rolling her eyes.

“So Lumi, whose next?” you ask the h/c haired girl.

“Xiangling.” Lumi quickly says.

You narrow your eyes. “You just want to have a taste of her food, don’t you? You’re no better than Paimon,” you accuse her. “...But, I’d be lying if I said that was a bad idea.”

“Well then, let’s go!” Lumi declares, with Paimon and Aether cheering along.

“Are you three dumb or stupid? We can’t let her grace walk into the public like this.” Xiao hisses.

The trio looks down in shame.

The Adeptus sighs. “Luckily I brought a cape. And I also got one for you as well,” he tells Lumi.

“When?” you ask. You hadn’t noticed him leave at all.

“I can teleport, your grace,” 

“Oh, that’s right,” you recall.

Xiao lays out the two black capes on the grassy field before them.

“Eww. No way am I going to put on that dusty piece of cloth.” Lumi complains.

“Then don’t.”

To be fair, the capes were severely worn down. There were holes and gaps in places that were not there when it was first worn. You could even see a hint of scarlet standing out on the dark fabric.

“I’ll wear it,” you say. It wasn’t that horrible, and what other option did you have?

“But what will you wear?” you ask your twin, choosing to ignore the way Xiao’s face slightly lit up when you chose to wear his cape.

“I doubt if this will help, but I grabbed this straw hat from some treasure hoarder back during my travels. It’s pretty big, so I think it will cover your face.” Aether suggests, rummaging through a bag, which you now guessed was his inventory. How else could he fit a hat in there? You gave yourself a mental note to ask him how he got that bag.

“Aha!” he exclaims, as he brought the yellow hat out.

“Thanks!” Lumi takes the hat and places it on top of her head. The fit was perfect- perfect as in it was big enough to cover her face completely. “The straw keeps on stabbing my forehead. And it smells of treasure hoarder sweat. But I’ll survive.” she comments.

“Geez, you’re pickier than Paimon,” Aether grumbles under his breath.

“Hey, I heard that!” The girl and the fairy yelled out.

In the end, the group decided to split up. One group was going to seek help from Xiangling, and the other was going to find Chongyun.

You ended up going with Xiao, since he refused to leave your side, and Lumi went with Aether and Paimon. You were kind of thankful to be able to travel with Xiao. Not only was he extremely attractive, but he could also teleport.

Speaking of teleporting, the only way you could describe it was as weird. You couldn’t see anything during the process, due to the light blinding your eyes, but, what felt weird was how your surroundings changed in a blink of an eye. The temperature changed slightly, the lighting changed, and even the elevation changed. All of it was enough to make you wobble and grab onto Xiao, feeling very disoriented, and he gratefully gave you his shoulder for support.

“Welcome to the Wangmin Restaurant, Adeptus Xiao!” A cheerful voice greeted. “Oh, and you also brought a friend!”

You eye your surroundings, and thankfully the restaurant was empty.

“I’d like to take your orders, but I have to take these dishes away first.”

You feel your cape gets tugged on, and you grab onto it tightly around your head in response.

“Guoba, get off the customer.” Xiangling scolds, but she couldn’t do anything at the moment. She was still holding the used platter. “I’m sorry about my friend, he usually acts calm. I guess he's taken a liking towards you.” 

You try to get the mini god off of you, but it was no use. The stubborn panda(?) was hugging onto your hood like if he were to let go, he would perish or something.

The creature let out some sort of sound. And for some reason you knew what he said.

“Welcome back, your grace.”

Your grip on your cape loosened as your mouth gaped in shock.

Had... Guoba just spoken?

So the reason for me being gone for a long time was because I had a test. Then I kinda lost motivation for writing. And then, I may have forgotten the existence of this account....

I am very very sorry.

Masterlist

I am planning on continuing this storyline, and please bear with me while I write this story... It's been a long time and I forgot most of it😢

[bg-brainrot]

Hugs for a Vampire (Astarion x GN!Reader) - Chapter 11: After Meeting Petras and Dal

Chapter 11: After Meeting Petras and Dal

Each chapter can be read as a standalone hug.

Pairing: Astarion x GN!Reader (Rogue!Tav)

Genre: Fluffy, Filling in Canon

Rating: Teen

Tags: Gender-Neutral Pronouns, POV Second Person, Act 3, Canon-typical violence, Astarion's quest, cw: Astarion's trauma, Astarion's coping mechanisms

WC: 1.4k words, 11/18 chapters

Summary: Set in early Act 3, Rogue!Tav and Astarion encounter Astarion's siblings.

Ao3 | [Hug10][Hug12] | Hugs for a Vampire Masterlist

To say that you’ve had a crazy week between Rivington and Wyrm’s Crossing would be an understatement. Deep gnomes, drow twins, devils, doppelgangers, you feel like you’ve lived an entire lifetime in mere days. In fact, compared to how you all looked entering Rivington– haggard from the Shadowlands, running on fumes and willpower– you look like completely different people.

Just yesterday, you took a detour to Carm’s Garms and, while you normally don’t pay for goods and services, you couldn’t resist having some of those garments immediately. Especially once you had Astarion try on a few options. Needless to say, you’ve never spent so much money before, especially on clothing or dyes.

So when you set out this sunny morning, you take a short detour to his tent to witness firsthand the results of your shopping trip. “Don’t you look dashing,” you say, with a satisfied little smile. Your love is dressed to the nines, in a delicately embroidered obsidian coat, its filigree a deep crimson to match his ruby eyes. 

Astarion pulls at the lapels of the coat, tilting his head up toward the sun. “Don’t I always?” he asks, the pride in his voice feels fresh, renewed by a confidence you’re happy to see in him. He does deflate a moment later, fingers picking at the trim of his sleeve. “Not that I would know. I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.”

“Shall I get another statue commissioned of you?” you ask, half-joking. The half that is serious knows that if he says yes, five-thousand gold is a small price to pay for even a moment of his happiness.

He doesn’t take you up on it though, laughing at the suggestion. “Maybe once we’ve settled somewhere more permanently. If Lae’zel and Karlach have to carry a second statue of me from campsite to campsite, I may not be long for this world.”

You take a moment to imagine a world where you are settled somewhere with Astarion, where you can decorate with as many statues and paintings of him that you can commission. “Very well,” you respond. “When this is all over, you won’t want for a mirror, trust me.”

Something about the sincerity in your voice throws off his usual veneer of vanity. “My love, you really are quite frightening when you set your mind to it.”

“Don’t you forget it,” you respond with a grin. The unspoken communication of what’s to come after this is all over still lingers, and you’re drawn to it like a foolish moth to a flame. “Speaking of planning ahead, you mentioned that we should look for your siblings before we enter the city?”

Astarion’s face sours into a grimace, but he doesn’t shy from the subject. “Yes, we should look about the dirtiest hovels. I would start somewhere like Fraygo's Flophouse, it looked miserable enough.”

You nod at his suggestion, ready and willing to face his past. “Let’s go today.”

– 

Well, you thought you were ready and willing to face his past. While you started your encounter with Pale Petras and Dalyria on a strong note, with Astarion interrogating his siblings, ultimately getting the information that you need – you end it on a sour one. As soon as his siblings flee, you come face-to-face with an Astarion you haven’t seen in weeks. 

“We have to face him and take that power for ourselves,” he says, a low growl to his voice.

“Not that they were the epitome of a loving family, but those six spawn are your brothers and sisters,” you start, an eyebrow raised in challenge. “Are you ready to sacrifice them?”

“Trust me I’d rather slaughter someone else’s family, but… if that’s what it takes,” he says dismissively, waving away your concerns with his hand. “And it’s not like they’re sweet innocents: they brought Cazador just as many victims as I did.”

You give him a look, not hiding your disapproval of his words, nor his dangerous train of thought. “It’s not like you had much of a choice. I don’t blame you for your actions, I could hardly blame them for the same thing.”

“You’re not getting sentimental, are you? I thought you were with me on this,” he says, an unveiled attempt to appeal to your practicality, your pragmatic leadership. When your expression doesn’t waver, he continues, voice infused with a new emotion: desperation. ”We are a team, aren’t we? You are still with me?”

Despite yourself, your heart aches at his pleas. “I just… want you to be happy,” you say, honestly.

“Then you’ll help me in this. Nothing would make me happier.” You stare uneasily at him, before hazarding a glance at Karlach and Shadowheart, their worries are clearly written on their faces. 

“We’ll do our best, Astarion,” you swear. “We will deal with Cazador one way or another.”

He seems mollified at your words, and a bit of erratic glee enters his tone as he says, “And now we know he’s skulking beneath his palace, we can take the hunt to Cazador.” 

You and your companions nod warily, tiptoeing around the anxious energy about Astarion. Something in his demeanor scares you more than even your most fearsome foes have. His familiar attitude, the oddly comforting sass and sarcasm, is nowhere to be found. You need to do something, anything, to diffuse the situation.

“Love,” you begin, deliberate in your small movements toward him. You reach out a single hand, palm up, facing him. “I know that was a lot to handle this early in the morning. Would you like a hug?”

In his regal attire and smug look, he seems leagues away as he scoffs. “Oh, please. It was nothing,” his words are confident, but something about the way he’s standing, posturing, seems defensive, afraid. “I don’t need comfort for dealing with a sniveling fool like Petras.”

You’re not convinced, of course, but drop your hand regardless. “Suit yourself, my dear.” You pause a beat, as you settle on a new way to bring your vampire out of his temper. “Truth be told, I was being a bit selfish– after all, it’s not every day your handsome lover grabs someone by the throat like that.”

Karlach’s startled snort sounds like music to your ears. It snaps Astarion’s face out of his pompous expression. When he looks at you, surprised and satisfied, you know he’s a bit more himself again. “Well if that’s what gets you going, I’m happy to provide a cuddle.”

You don’t need any further affirmation, closing the distance between you with a step. Your arms wrap under his, holding his body tightly to yours by his shoulders. Astarion, despite his airs, melts in your arms easily. There’s a bit of a crinkle to his movements, as the fresh garments bend in unfamiliar ways. 

This is by far the nicest outfit you’ve ever hugged your lover in– you can feel every exquisitely stitched seam, the cloth is soft to the touch, pristine and shining. You have a brief moment of wonder; is this what hugging Astarion two centuries ago would have felt like? It’s likely he hasn’t had anything this nice in recent years. You’ll need to sort out an entire new wardrobe for him, of only the finest make.

Something about the moment compels you to say as much. “When this is all over, we’ll need to find somewhere to put your new wardrobe, in addition to all of your statues and paintings,” you whisper, a promise meant for only his ears.

He chuckles into your hair. “You like fancy clothing as well. I’m learning so much about your preferences today, love.” You roll your eyes at his teasing and move to break the hug, but he only grips harder. His words are the barest breath on your skin, “Just… one more moment.”

You would happily give him as many moments as he needs, and you curl back into him. Karlach and Shadowheart don’t interrupt, perhaps sensing that he needs the comfort he so vehemently denied. For your part, you can feel the tension leaving his body, slowly but surely. The instinctual fear that Petra and Dal evoked, the memories of his past life, retreating back in the face of his overwhelming reality. He is safe here, in your arms, with his friends– each of you ready to face his fears alongside him.

“All right, let’s go,” he says, finally releasing you. Then, with his usual flair, looks around, as if realizing where you’ve had this moment. “This place stinks of rat blood and despair.”

“Let’s go,” you confirm. “We've almost made it back.”

[undertale-fic-librarby]

Personal Recs! (General Audiences, Teen And Up)

Here are some of my personal recommendations! This post will include fics generally suited for most audiences.

Our Kind Of Intimacy by Moss-On-The-Bones (General Audiences, Complete)

Ink had the marvelous idea of making Error his canvas. A little over 1k words of Error being painted on. This is a part of a reverse big bang with @wewawoomp on Tumblr. Link to the art will be at the end notes.

Duplicate The Terror by Sye_Dye (Teen And Up, Complete)

This wasn't how it was suppose to go. Dream felt that he has done everything to get through to Nightmare, but to no avail. But to resort to this? He didn't think things could have gone so south so fast. He just wanted his precious brother back. Was that too much to ask for? It was an accident. Now he hurt his brother and he was not sure what to do. His brother sneered at him. On the other side of the room, another Nightmare glared at him. There were two Nightmares now. What has he done? In which Nightmare does not know what to do with himself and finds a new path.

Schrodinger's Gate by moondrift (Teen And Up, Incomplete)

Disoriented and emotionally frayed from decades spent in the void, W.D Gaster suddenly finds himself at the mercy of a cold and arrogant alternate self. His doppelganger promises to return him to the void once his research is complete but before he can make good on his threat, Gaster is introduced to this world’s variant of his son and he is forced to make a quick, spur of the moment decision. This sole act sends unforeseen ripples throughout the Multiverse and hurdles Gaster on a perilous journey across it to find his way home. or Dadster plays hopscotch across the multiverse, unintentionally and intentionally acquires children, tentatively reciprocates Grillby's feelings, engages in actual literal custody battles with copies of himself, somehow steals a Bad Sans™, narrowly avoids death at the hands of Error and somehow flies under Ink’s radar for a shocking amount of time.

Don't care 'bout my Bad Reputation by Insecuriousity (Teen And Up, Complete)

Every monster in Snowdin knew that between the two Skeleton Brothers, Sans was the soft one. He never dusted anyone, always hid behind his brother’s legs like a coward, and had the stats of a newborn whimsun. The only reason nobody had dusted him yet was because only Sans could extract some mercy from Papyrus. It was goddamn hilarious, how wrong they all were, but Sans wasn’t about to correct them.

you become by theragingprophet (General Audiences, Complete)

you aren’t Real, but for him... for your little brother, you can pretend. (in which Sans is Papyrus’s imaginary friend, and magic is both a wonderful and terrifying thing.)

The One Where Sans Tells It Like It Is. (Or: The One Where Sans Is Number One Dunckle) by marauding_bagel (General Audiences, Complete)

When Toriel asked him to attend the meeting in her place for one night he thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Turns out Sans could not have been more wrong.

At Their Mercy by Devcipher (Teen And Up, Complete)

The multiverse had been perfectly balanced when the seven higher beings weaved it together. Through countless interferences, however, the balance has begun to tip, and stability is threatened. Fate's creation has been unresponsive to their warnings, and thus a solution must be made. While feuding with Destiny over a monster to be Ink's counterpart, Karma intervenes. Inspiration from Harrish6's Forced God of Destruction universe, but a unique alternate multiverse/universe of my own. Discord is constantly breaking the link for the ATM discord but: https://discord.gg/DgHWGnMNrs *EDIT: My server got raided twice please message me for a link lol* Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/devtemrys

Kinder Than He Seems by WrittenKinzy18 (Teen And Up, Complete)

Error is the Destroyer of the AUs. The sole purpose of his existence is to clash with Ink and destroy the entire multiverse. He has two easy ways of doing so: finding the Doodle Sphere, or killing the Classic Universe. No one wants to get rid of him completely, but they also can't let him roam free. However, when Classic himself is brought into their multiversal meeting, they find Error has always known where the Original Undertale was. In fact, he'd been actively visiting it as a friend. Were they really so wrong about the Destroyer?

Ancients & Champions by jisko2ijsko (Teen And Up, Complete)

After monsters broke free to the surface Sans thought that the humans would be the hardest to manoeuvre around. Nothing could have prepared him for what he found in a different country far from his home. He will learn more about the world, them and himself as he tries to deal with feelings and long forgotten memories. TLDR: Sans decides to travel to help Alphys and Toriel and ends up meeting more skeletons and experience many more adventures. Good thing two are really cute and the other four are actually very nice.

Turn Back Time by orphan_account (Teen And Up, Incomplete)

Nightmare finally killed his brother. Dream is finally dead. Or so he thought. Dream also thought he was killed. He thought he was dead. But when he opened his eyes he's perfectly fine, unexpectedly. His pain has gone, there's no tendril piercing his body, and his wounds disappeared completely. Then a familiar voice greets him, chuckling softly. “Why are you looking at me like you’ve seen a ghost?” "Night...mare?"

[envythemouse]

All-time Hannibal extended universe recs

Will/Nigel from Charlie Countryman

Heart of Spades by WaffleBunny13

Summary: Will pauses when he sees the face of the man in front of him then the cup of coffee slips from his hand.

“N-Nigel?”

Hannibal's neck nearly snaps to look at Will with a frown on his face then the doppelganger, Nigel, steps forward to Will with a smirk on his face and his hands casually resting in his pockets.

“Hello, gorgeous”

Envy’s notes: Nigel and Hannibal are not related. Nigel shows up at a crime scene. Everyone thinks he’s Hannibal. Then Will and Hannibal arrive, Hannibal finds out his look-alike is Will’s ex from the time he was on a scholarship in Romania.

Unconventional Therapy by DarkmoonSigel, sku7314977

Summary: Upon noticing that Will has been having some difficulty separating his mind from the monsters he’s made to chase, Hannibal makes a rather unexpected suggestion for some uncommon therapy to help the empath unwind.

Envy’s notes: Hannibal suggests sex as a form of therapy thinking he could finally get close to Will. Will instead goes out and stumbles upon Hannibal’s brother Nigel, they proceed to fuck in Hannibal’s house which makes for an awkward morning after.

Behave by sourweather

Summary: Nigel and Hannibal are sharing their Omega. Taking Turns, so to speak. Today, Nigel is to accompany Will to a crime scene. Will isn't looking forward to it. He loves Nigel, but he doesn't exactly play well with others.

He's proven right to worry when Nigel makes a less than perfect first impression on Jack Crawford.

Envy’s notes: Protective!Nigel. Nigel defends Will from Jack the way I always wished Hannibal would have done in canon.

"Two women are dead," Jack says, growl distorting his usual voice.

"And Will is alive!" Nigel snarls in response. "You'd think keeping him that way might be more important to you, but here you are running him into the fuckin' ground."

Will/Clifford from Death Stranding

The Beauty of the Rain by EarthsickWithoutYou

Summary: Part one of my Deathgram AU -- in which Hannibal discovers that Will has taken a lover who resembles him strikingly, an ex from his past in New Orleans. A man named Clifford Unger who bears the weight of the world on his shoulders, riddled with self-doubt, regret, trauma and grief. But he considers it his mission in life beyond all else to cherish and protect Will Graham, the light of his life, his redeeming soulmate.

Now that he has Will back in his arms, Cliff won't let anyone hurt his boy, even a clever, scheming, crazy-shocked-jealous therapist/cannibal who has been playing with fire and may now pay the price.

Envy’s notes: Hannibal comes over unannounced and discovers Will has Clifford as his lover. Clifford finds out about Will being sick lately so he takes him straight to the hospital and later gets revenge on Hannibal because there’s no way the former doctor didn’t know about Will’s sickness.

Will/Lucas from Jagten|The Hunt

Organ by CarnivalMirai

Summary: A week after the funeral, Lucas gets a parcel from one W. Graham. At first, he thinks it’s a wrong delivery. But the parcel is addressed directly to him. So curiously, he opens it.

Inside the box is another box. This time, in the shape of a small house or kennel— it’s a build-a-bear bear. He pulls the box out to see a card slipped in the box, again, addressed to Lucas. So he opens it.

Dear Lucas, I’m sorry for the loss of your son. He saved my life. I thought maybe you’d enjoy his heart beat. I hope you enjoy the bear. Kindly yours, Will Graham

Envy’s notes: Very interesting concept, imagine falling in love with a man who carries your son’s heart. No Hannigram, though Hannibal is one of Will’s doctors.

Sanctuary by Astromeda, tinypurpleghost

Summary: In the aftermath of a plunge that claimed one monster but spared another, Will Graham seeks refuge in a small Danish town. There, he meets Lucas, a kindergarten teacher with a heart of gold, and the spark between them is immediate and undeniable. When Lucas is falsely accused of a heinous crime, the monster inside Will yearns for blood. Even as Will tries to support Lucas in the way he needs, he realizes that he will stop at nothing to protect what’s his.

Envy’s notes: A post-fall fic where Hannibal dies and Will survives. He moves to Denmark and falls in love with Lucas pre-movie. Then canon happens except Will will do anything to protect the man he loves (and their dogs). Will is still in contact with Jack and there’s a man in town who knows of Will’s past. Lucas eventually finds out and accepts Will’s darker side.

Prince Charmont/One Eye (Ella Enchanted|Valhalla Rising)

Perfect Stranger by victorine

Summary: Char doesn't know Frank. Frank doesn't know Char. So how the hell did they wind up hugging in the middle of a park at midnight on Valentine's Day? And what will Char do when he realises it's not actually his best friend Ella rubbing soothing circles into his back?

Envy’s notes: Prince Charming is upset and a stranger (though he doesn’t know it’s a stranger) comforts him.  Oh and it’s Valentine’s day.

Just look at his smile. ⬆ How can you not like that? Lucas is adorable. I only wish I could see the movie without having to pay extra for it, damn it Amazon.

Nigel makes smoking and cussing look attractive somehow.

@principesorosado

[valorianknights]

Meeting yourself ?!

Just a cute lil doodle 💫

[lokisivy]

The Prophecy - Peter Parker (TASM) Part one

summary: A girl Lucy Osborn loses her Peter Parker in her universe when a strange chaos makes her meet his boyfriend's doppelganger.

It was one of the rare times when my abilities were at their peak and these weren't any crimes to tend to I've done my search through the city I was about to call it a night till a portal opened.

"Peter!" A tall brunette with stunning features called for you. I'm not Peter he died 8 years ago. I went through it only to be met by disappointment coming from the brunette and her friend.

"You're not Peter Parker" The boy said.

"No, I'm not. how do you know Peter?" I said. I was confused. Another man was wearing a Spiderman-like suit, and it looked real. "This is what i said. I am Peter Parker," the man in the suit said. "No, you don't look like him," i said

"We are searching for our friend Peter Parker," he said "But your not him your a woman?" he hesitantly said. I took off my mask "I'm Lucy Osborn Spider-woman" Their faces were in shock "Let's go a woman spider!" The brunette said excitedly I took a look around.

"Osborn as in Harry Osborn" the imposter Parker said. "Yes he is my brother"

"but you don't look anything like him he doesn't even have a sister" he said just as confused as me.

"Im Ned this is MJ my friend we are looking for Peter Parker.' he said "Peter Parker died 8 years ago" I state my heart sinking at the thought. No this isn't the time. she said MJ I only knew one MJ she was a redhead, not a brunette.

"Our universes got intertwined your villains came to our world and now you're here" she explained. I am in a parallel universe hell yeah. I wish Peter was here to tell him it was real we always share theories but it was never legitmised.

"MJ as in Mary Jane Watson?" I asked

"No, Michelle Jones-Watson," she corrected

"Well, at least the last name is the same," I shrugged. "Crawl around, I want to see if you are really Spider Woman," MJ said. "I can't. I wasn't bitten by the spider," I explained. "How-" Imposter Peter said before being interrupted by Ned

"Guys, we need to focus. we have to find Peter." Another portal opened, and coming through, it was Peter my Peter. Tears creep up my eyes. I don't know how to feel; sad, happy, mad. All I know is that the love of my life is standing in front of me 8 years older. He went through the portal. "Peter!" I squealed, going to him and hugging him he was hesitant but hugged me back."I thought you died. " I almost broke into a sob

Shit, he might not be my Peter but he looked, smelled acted like him. I pull back "I'm sorry it's just you look exactly like my Peter Parker" he wasn't weirded out he was surprised "It is okay " he said genuinely. Was Fait pushing us together?

"That's not Peter Ned" MJ yelled "I don't know how to work this thing!" Ned yelled back. After the squabbles, we went to search for their Peter. Their Peter Lost his Aunt May and he was probably sad and angry and those aren't good combos for someone with super senses.

"You are not Spider-woman crawl around" MJ said looking like I'm carrying explosives "Woman I told you I wasn't bitten by the spider I can't"

"Guys we have to go we need to find Peter." Ned said rushing us

...

we were trying to consult Peter from this universe we are in he lost his aunt may I know for a fact he is mad and angry. He probably wants to kill whoever killed her. I'm not the best person to consult him I killed my own brother for what he did I am a hypocrite.

"I lost Gwen- my MJ" he clarified trying not to break into tears.

It is still all weird to me to see Peter a part of me is happy and also a part of me is sad knowing that he is not the same person. They all looked at me waiting for me to speak,

Oh boy.

I sat next to him " I lost my Peter Parker, I might not be the best person to tell you this but trust me this anger you feel will go away." I told him sincerely that anger would fade and become pain instead.

After we convinced him, we went to the lab in the high school to create our cures. none of the people I went against came here. we dodged a built. I helped Peter to create the cures since 2 of his vilians had biological changes. Peter and MJ were talking to each other they looked so happy i was envious of them but happy that Peter had someone to take of him and love him while his aunt was gone.

"Can I ask you something?" Peter said mixing chemicals he looked so pleasing wearing the lab coat his safety goggles, and pushing back his hair, he was trying to distract me from the way I was looking at Peter and MJ, I always had a thing for nerdy guys.

"Yes of course." I smile at him working on the cure for Dr Curtis.

"How are you Spider-Woman you weren't bitten by a spider" he looked at me briefly searching for any signs of being uncomfortable.

"A couple years before Peter Died I got Retroviral Hypodysplasia when I told him we searched for a cure everywhere until he had this idea of him trying to extra healing DNA from his blood which I frankly thought it was ridiculous but you --sorry he never really gave up," I said shuddering a shaky breath I forgot myself for a second.

"anyways after months of working on it he finally made it to work but it worked only for me it was super risky after it worked he destroyed the notes and the work he couldn't risk anyone finding it and trying to use it wouldn't work. So my brother came back a year after he got the same disease, and he was dying Peter couldn't help him he had already destroyed everything he theorised that if one used his blood he would get a fraction of his abilities if it fell in the wrong hands he would've created something he can't change. His blood gave me limited abilities i mean I can't save the city from a lizard plague while having a built wound but I can take down major stuff with help from NYPD i can't make webs I had to create my own fluid with my blood and my sense are Hightened but that's it " I ended my explanation.

"So I was right for not giving Harry my blood." he stated "Yes it would've killed him faster. You probably saw him with the venom he took." I answered."How did Peter die?" he hesitantly asked, "My brother found out about the cure when Peter refused to help he took the venom and he tried to kill me as revenge took us to the clock tower and threw me Peter managed to save me with a web string but it broke he jumped in hugged me took the fall first to the ground Sparkels fried his web shooters only one of them work." Tears threatened to fall."It should've been me - if I stayed where he asked me, none of this would've happened. " A tear broke down. He quickly took off the gloves and held my face, wiping the tears away. I relaxed to his touch. it was like a dream come true, finally being able to touch him after years of nightmares and horrors. "I was never your fault. Harry would've gotten what he wanted no matter what." he comforted me "Same thing happened with Gewen, but when i tried to save her with my web, her spine broke. she died because of me, but you didn't do anything wrong." it pained me to see him blaming himself for something he didn't control over. "I wasn't your fault though you didn't know." he gives me a weak smile

Oh, shit I see what he is doing.

"Oh okay, I see what you are doing." I let out a small chuckle. the tension grew moment by moment his hands lowered to my jaw and my hands rubbed his biceps. This was comforting i wanted to stay here forever. My breaths getting heavier and my heart was pumping faster than the flash.

"Lucy..." his voice was low and raspy, and my stomach flipped from his voice. "Peter." His name came out of my mouth like I ran miles for hours. "You sound like her," he states, his face lower to mine, our lips so close but yet felt so far. my hand sneaks up to his face, pulling him down.

I kissed him I had to I needed to. being here with him was a comfort that could last me for years. and he kissed me back he took the lead it was a spark a thrill I hadn't felt in a long time i felt so high school at this moment with him was all I needed. and there it came guilt he doesn't know who I really am he doesn't know I killed my brother. he wouldn't love me if he knew it

"We have to get back to work." he breaks the kiss, smiling. It is bright

"Yes" we do i smile back at him

[arobinwithoutbatman]

"Who..." he was nervous, uncertain why when this was a perfectly normal question. This issue was, it had been held with a very young version of himself. Was he still with Stephanie? Did they not meet in his world? What about Kon? He and his lover teased about it many times, but maybe this version of him was too young?

He immediately scolded himself internally to not behave like all the adults in their prospective lives. "I know life is not great on your side, but do you have someone? Dating or otherwise that you can lean on? Be vunerable with?"

Did he-

Tim couldn't help but laugh a little because the thought was a sweet one. He simply showed his doppelganger his phone and the very cluttered group chat he had with Young Justice. Full of memes, multiple disjointed conversations all happening at once, attempts of photos from Greta and her adventures, Bart's continuous typos from texting too fast.

"Friends wise, I'm good. Kon, Bart and Cassie checked in on me the day after the funeral. Kon's even offered to take me to Mount Pleasant to go looking for Mothman." He paused for a moment, his smile turning a little sad. "I can't hang out on weekends at the moments which sucks."

He just had to gesture at the Batcomputer behind him, currently displaying a map of the city full of little icons. All crimes that they knew would be taking place tonight. Organ trafficking, potential kidnapping, hacking. A couple of new icons appeared as he and his other were talking; one meaning a murder investigation and another had Tim calling across the Belfry.

"Jason! Madame Palomares is gonna be out tonight!"

That got a very gravelly 'oh fuck yeah' from the workout area.

"And as for dating... I've got someone. He's actually a mask too. His name's Dio, he's Italian, couple years older than me, works at the museum as a tour guide during the day, has the sweetest little brother in the world. I go spend lunch with him a lot and sometimes pick up his brother from school and help him practice English if Dio is running late."

He took his phone back to scroll through his images and show a picture of his boyfriend. One he'd snapped in secret during one of their movie dates.

[ayn-alwyns]

Doppelganger - JP Dub [6:23]

Time: A Lazy Afternoon. Location: Recording Studio. “Have you ever seen another version of yourself from another world?” All I could think about now was the story, the future, and the time I’m spending by his side.

[00:00]

*BUGS AND BIRDS CHIRPING, CAR PULLS UP*

[00:14]

Is there another version of me there? Why do you ask that out of nowhere? *SHUFFLING NOISES*

[00:36]

*SOFT SCOFF* I don’t believe it. It’s fine as a story, as a little play we put on. *CHUCKLE* To be honest, there’s no way it can be true.

[00:53]

How am I so sure? I… I just am. Hypothetically… Even if there exists another version of me, I’d kidnap him. I’d send him back home to take care of that mess.

[01:20]

*FRIDGE OPENING AND CLOSING, GLASSES CLINKING TOGETHER* As for me, I can now do whatever I want.

[01:35]

*OPENS SODA CAN* What do I want to do? You’ve answered it for me already.

[01:47]

*HUMS* Why are you staring at the piano? Come back. The answer’s not going to be that cliche. Besides, I would never touch an instrument when I’m eating. It is a matter of principle.

[02:12]

There are a lot of things I want to do. There are a lot that I don’t want to do as well.

[02:22]

*BAG CRINKLING* Hmm… And… Here.

[02:40]

*CRUNCHING SFX* To stop you from talking, of course. That way, you’d stop with the annoying questions.

[02:52]

*SWALLOWING SFX, SOFT SIGH* Back to your previous question… If I could plant a seed… If I could gain many copies fo myself… One would be in charge of handling my family. Another to work and earn money. One more would be sent out to attend classes for me.

[03:22]

*CHEWING SFX* Then… All the boring chores would be taken care of by someone else. Hm? What’s so funny?

[03:39]

It was your question. This is my answer… Yet you laugh at me. You’re terrible.

[03:54]

Wipe your mouth. It’s all over your face. You missed a spot…

[04:10]

*SHUFFLING CLOSER* *SOFT INHALE* Done. If you’re done eating… We can talk about your last question.

[04:30]

Even if every copy has the same soul… We will be different due to our different experiences. Identical states only exist in games. In reality… You can’t just copy and paste something. Every leaf is different. Humans are the same.

[05:00]

Hm? Games? I’ve played quite a few. Yes, I have.

[05:16]

*SOFT CHUCKLE* Sure, I have great reflexes, though. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You can bring it along to our next meeting.

[05:33]

*SHUFFLING SFX* Wait! Hm, every time you ask me a question like this… You always end up painting something strange.

[05:58]

Never mind. Sure. You can show me. It’s a date.

[windsfavored]

anonymous &&. said... What were you thoughts when you first saw your 'twin' emerge from Irminsul?

❝  to  be  honest ...  i  thought  i  was  the  target  of  a  SICK  JOKE. ❞  ren  has  never  been  particularly  fond  of  his  appearance.  he  knows  many  souls  who  might  consider  him  conventionally  attractive  —  yet  that  only  serves  as  testament  to  his  inhumanity.  for  his  face  was  not  something  he  was  necessarily  born  with  (  if  one  could  consider  a  puppet  BORN  at  all  )  but  rather  a  deliberate  creation  —  no  different  from  the  features  of  a  statue  carved  by  the  hands  of  a  skilled  artist.  he  can  still  recall  her  countenance,  even  now.  empty,  regal,  ethereal  —  and  a  thousand  other,  infinitely  more  miniscule  observations  he  sees  reflected  every  time  he  has  the  misfortune  of  gazing  into  THE  MIRROR.  the  resemblance  is  unmistakable;  he  looks  like  her.  she  looks  like  him.  and  he  hates  being  reminded  of  that  fact,  because  it  serves  as  an  eternal  reminder  of  the  bond  between  them  that  even  irminsul  itself  could  not  sever.

the  mark  on  the  back  of  his  neck  burns  with  her  signature.  his  fingers  itch  to  claw  it  away,  even  if  the  wanderer  knows  his  efforts  would  be  futile.

suffice  to  say,  finding  himself  face  to  face  with  yet  ANOTHER  doppelganger  was  not  a  particularly  pleasant  experience.  ❝  this  world  can  barely  handle  one  of  me.  ❞   he  continues  aloud.  ❝  doubling  that  number  sounds  like  another  way  of  just  asking  for  TROUBLE. ❞   from  the  instant  he  first  had  the  sense  to  be  aware  of  his  own  existence,  he  was  something  wholly  unique.  crafted  in  a  god's  image,  yet  too  mortal  to  house  divinity  within  his  chest.  an  eternal  being  cursed  with  consciousness  that  lives  moment  to  moment.  his  inability  to  slot  himself  into  any  pre-defined  role  was  a  source  of  endless  misery  and  loneliness.  but  strangely,  for  the  first  time  in  his  entire  life,  he's  had  the  opportunity  to  meet  someone  burdened  with  the  same  STRUGGLE  —  someone  like  him.  and  perhaps  that  is  why  it's  so  easy  for  him  to  trust  kaminari  when  ren  is  usually  not  the  sort  to  trust  at  all.  because  there  is  some  small,  weak  part  of  him  that  craves  the  sort  of  understanding  only  they  can  provide  each  other.  (  he  supposes  this  is  what  it  means  to  be  family  by  blood  —  for  a  given  value  of  blood.  )

❝  it  hasn't  been  bad. ❞  the  wanderer  admits.  an  understatement  —  because  he  can't  bring  himself  to  drop  the  aloof  facade,  even  for  a  moment.  ❝  in  hindsight,  i  think  kaminari  is  the  one  actually  being  subjected  to  irminsul's  twisted  sense  of  humor. ❞  and  it  might  be  selfish  to  feel  as  much,  but  he  doesn't  think  he  HATES  this  joke  as  much  as  he  initially  assumed  he  would.  strange.